Governor Bredesen today announced the end of a 38-year-old desegregation lawsuit to increase racial diversity at Tennessee colleges and universities. But he vowed to commit at least $19 million a year to fund programs it required. A court-ordered agreement stemmed from a 1968 lawsuit filed by Rita Geier, then an instructor at historically black Tennessee State University who challenged the state's so-called "dual system" of higher education for minorities. After one settlement failed in 1984, a federal judge approved a new one in 2001. If the required goals were met, the litigation was to end. The decree required Tennessee to spend $77 million over ten years to help public colleges and universities diversify their student bodies, faculties and staffs. The lawsuit resulted in the closure of the University of Tennessee's old Nashville campus.
Bredesen announces end to desegregation lawsuit
A court-ordered agreement stemmed from a 1968 lawsuit filed by Rita Geier, then an instructor at historically black Tennessee State University.
