Federal Appeals Court Rules Ferguson-Florissant District Violated Voting Rights Act

Post author:independentnws
Post published:July 11, 2018
Post category:BlackJack / Spanish Lake / Ferguson / Florissant / Hazelwood / School News
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A federal appeals court has ruled that the at-large electoral process used by Missouri’s Ferguson-Florissant School District violates the Voting Rights Act. The American Civil Liberties Union brought the lawsuit on behalf of the Missouri NAACP and several African American parents and residents.

“The courts have ruled yet again that the Ferguson-Florissant school district’s election system illegally dilutes African American voting power,” said Julie Ebenstein, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. “The decision takes another step toward dismantling systematic bias in local elections, and ensuring that all communities’ interests are equally represented.”

The school district elected board candidates on at at-large basis where the candidates with the most votes won the number of seats available on the ballot.

Indications are that the Ferguson-Florissant will file an appeal while the stay remains in effect.

In its ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit found the “evidence amply supports” the district court’s conclusion that “given the extent to which African Americans in FFSD continue to experience the effect of discrimination, their ability to participate in the political process is impacted.”

The Ferguson-Florissant School District itself was created by a 1975 federal desegregation order intended to remedy the effects of discrimination against African American students. It combined the existing district with the Berkeley and Kinloch schools.

“We presented strong evidence that the election scheme operates to dilute the votes of black voters and today’s ruling vindicates the district court’s careful factual analysis based on complex evidence,” said Tony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU of Missouri. “We must remain vigilant about the voting rights of the people and continue removing artificial barriers that prevent communities of color from having the same opportunity as white voters to elect candidates that will be responsive to them.”