Dive Brief:
- The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against Missouri's Ferguson-Florissant School District, claiming that its school board election process puts black voters at a disadvantage, therefore discriminating against African-Americans.
- Because the district uses an "at large" system to elect school board members, black votes are diluted, according to the ACLU, which also argues that black board members are few and far between as a result.
- Despite the district being 70% black, only one in seven board members is black.
Dive Insight:
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Missouri NAACP and the district's black residents, according to a press release from the ACLU. The press release also breaks down the issues with the "at large" voting system, arguing that it “impermissibly denies African-American voters an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice.”
According to the Huffington Post, the ACLU has recommendations for improving the current situation, such as breaking the district into mini-regions that each vote for their own school board rep.
The Huffington Post also quotes a piece of the ACLU complaint that addressed the current protests over the killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson. “There is also a significant lack of responsiveness to the needs of the African-American community on the part of other local government officials. These protests were triggered by a number of events following the shooting that signaled local officials’ disregard for the needs of Ferguson’s African-American residents, including the police department’s initial refusal and delay in releasing the name of the shooting officer; and the police department’s excessive response to peaceful protesters, including the use of tear gas, armored vehicles, assault rifles, and military uniforms.”