By JAIMIE DING

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A conservative group filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging a Los Angeles schools policy meant to address the harms of segregation, alleging that it discriminates against white students.

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The 1776 Project Foundation, created by the 1776 Project PAC, targeted in its lawsuit a Los Angeles Unified School District policy that provides smaller class sizes and other benefits to schools with predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian or other non-white students. It dates back to 1970 and 1976 court orders that required the district to desegregate its schools.

The group said the policy amounts to racial discrimination and violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

The lawsuit calls for a permanent injunction to prevent the school district from using race preferences in “operating, funding, advertising, or admitting students into school programs.”

A district spokesperson said they were unable to comment on the specifics of pending litigation.

“Los Angeles Unified remains firmly committed to ensuring all students have meaningful access to services and enriching educational opportunities,” the district said in a statement.

More than 600 schools in the district are classified as predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian or other non-white, while less than 100 are not, the lawsuit said.

Students that attend a school under this designation receive extra points when applying to magnet schools, and they are required to have at least two parent-teacher conferences per year, according to the district’s Student Integration Services website. These schools are also required to have student-teacher ratios of 25 to 1 or less, compared to other schools that are allowed to have classroom ratios of as high as 34 to 1, according to the lawsuit.

The 1776 Project Foundation’s mission is to “create and disseminate policies that will promote academic achievement and revitalize our educational system for families and students across the nation,” according to its website. It does so primarily by supporting local school board candidates, pushing back against “progressive pedagogy” and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, its website said. The related 1776 Project PAC has financially backed those candidates.

The group’s members include a parent whose children are enrolled in a Los Angeles school that is not classified as predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian or other non-white, according to the lawsuit. Because of the district’s policy, those children were denied certain benefits such as admission to a magnet program, the lawsuit alleges.

The filing comes as Trump administration officials have pushed for the lifting of Civil Rights Movement-era school desegregation court orders, calling them obsolete and unnecessary.

Civil rights groups say the orders are important to keep as tools to address the legacy of forced segregation — including disparities in student discipline, academic programs and teacher hiring — as well as segregation that is still actively happening.

Brian Flores has officially signed a contract extension with the Vikings. That means if he does not receive an offer to be a head coach during this NFL hiring cycle, Flores will return as Minnesota’s defensive coordinator.

As of Wednesday evening, Flores has interviewed with the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers, though neither has made a decision on how they plan to fill their vacancies.

If Flores stays, it would be a major boost for the Vikings.

In a statement, head coach Kevin O’Connell lauded Flores for his ability to connect with his players while maximizing their skill sets.

“The identity of our defense is a reflection of his leadership and preparation,” O’Connell said. “On a personal level, I’ve really valued the relationship we’ve built over the last three years, and that shared trust, alignment and high standard will continue to be critical to our success.”

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By MICHAEL BIESECKER and RYAN J. FOLEY

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Cuban migrant held in solitary confinement at an immigration detention facility in Texas died after guards held him down and he stopped breathing, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday that ruled the death a homicide.

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Geraldo Lunas Campos died Jan. 3 following an altercation with guards. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the 55-year-old father of four was attempting suicide and the staff at Camp East Montana tried to save him.

But a witness told The Associated Press last week that Lunas Campos was handcuffed as at least five guards held him down and one put an arm around his neck and squeezed until he was unconscious.

The autopsy report by the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office found Lunas Campos’ body showed signs of a struggle, including abrasions on his chest and knees. He also had hemorrhages on his neck. The deputy medical examiner, Dr. Adam Gonzalez. determined the cause of death was asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.

The report said witnesses saw Lunas Campos “become unresponsive while being physically restrained by law enforcement.” It did not elaborate on what happened during the struggle but cited evidence of injuries to his neck, head and torso associated with physical restraint. The report also noted the presence of petechial hemorrhages — tiny blood spots from burst capillaries that can be associated with intense strain or injury — in the eyelids and skin of the neck.

Dr. Victor Weedn, a forensic pathologist who reviewed the autopsy report for AP, said the presence of petechiae in the eyes “tend to support” the conclusion that asphyxia caused the death. Those injuries suggest pressure on the body and are often associated with such deaths, he said.

He said the contusions on Lunas Campos’ body may reflect physical restraint and the neck injuries were consistent with a hand or knee on the neck.

The autopsy also found the presence of prescription antidepressant and antihistamine medications, adding that Lunas Campos had a history of bipolar disorder and anxiety. It made no mention of him attempting suicide.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on the autopsy report.

ICE’s initial account of the death, which included no mention of an altercation with guards, said Lunas Campos had become disruptive and staff moved him to a segregated area.

“While in segregation, staff observed him in distress and contacted on-site medical personnel for assistance,” the agency said in its Jan. 9 statement. “Medical staff responded, initiated lifesaving measures, and requested emergency medical services.”

Lunas Campos was pronounced dead after paramedics arrived.

Last Thursday, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Lunas Campos had attempted suicide and guards tried to help him.

“Campos violently resisted the security staff and continued to attempt to take his life,” she said. “During the ensuing struggle, Campos stopped breathing and lost consciousness.”

Camp Montana East is a sprawling tent facility in the desert on the grounds of Fort Bliss, an Army base. The AP reported in August that the $1.2 billion facility, expected to become the largest detention facility in the U.S., was being built and operated by a private contractor headquartered in a single-family home in Richmond, Virginia. The company, Acquisition Logistics LLC, had no prior experience running a corrections facility.

It was not immediately clear whether the guards present when Lunas Campos died were government employees or those of the private contractor.

Lunas Campos was among the first detainees sent to Camp Montana East, arriving in September after ICE arrested him in Rochester, New York, where he lived for more than two decades. He was legally admitted to the U.S. in 1996, part of a wave of Cuban immigrants seeking to reach Florida by boat.

ICE said he was picked up in July as part of a planned immigration enforcement operation due to criminal convictions that made him eligible for removal.

New York court records show Lunas Campos was convicted in 2003 of sexual contact with a person under 11, a felony for which he was sentenced to one year in jail and placed on the state’s sex offender registry.

Foley reported from Iowa City.

A 24-year-old man pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of first-degree murder for killing his pregnant sister and dismembering her body in his Lakeville townhome in 2024.

Jack Joseph Ball entered the guilty pleas on the same day a court trial was to begin before a Dakota County judge in the killings of 30-year-old Bethany Ann Israel of Bloomington and her unborn child, who was four months along.

Ball has asserted a defense of mental illness. Minnesota law states that a person is not criminally responsible if a mental illness made the person unable to understand what they were doing or know that it was wrong at the time the offense was committed. A court trial on Ball’s defense of mental illness is still scheduled for May 21.

If convicted, Ball faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. He remains in custody at the Dakota County jail.

Police were called to the home on Encina Path near 170th Street and Pilot Knob Road just before 11 p.m. on May 23, 2024. They saw dismembered body parts believed to be those of Israel and found a saw, hatchet and large knives, all of which were covered in blood.

Jack Joseph Ball (Courtesy of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office)

Soon after police arrived, a resident in Rosemount reported seeing a man on their home security camera and he placed what appeared to be a body part on their front step.

Law enforcement found Bell in the backyard of a neighboring home. He had a self-inflicted knife wound across his throat and was hospitalized before being jailed.

Police searched the area and found several dismembered body parts believed to be those of Israel.

Investigators later found journals and other writings by Ball. He wrote that he was angry his sister was pregnant and “no longer innocent,” according to the complaint.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Israel’s cause of death was complex homicidal violence and confirmed she was 17 to 18 weeks pregnant.

The baby would have been the first child for Israel and her husband, Josh, who were married in 2021, according to her obituary. They planned to name the boy Levy.

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