August 18, 2023 – The Brewer Storefront (“Storefront”) announced a settlement with the Lewisville Independent School District (“Lewisville ISD”) of the Voting Rights Act lawsuit it filed against the school district last year on behalf of plaintiff Paige Dixon. The outcome comes nearly three years after the Storefront sued Lewisville ISD under the Voting Rights Act. The Storefront is the community-service legal affiliate of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors.
The agreement resolves all claims against Lewisville ISD. All seven members of Lewisville ISD’s school board are currently elected at-large. The agreement provides for a new electoral system consisting of five single-member districts and two at-large districts. The new election system will include at least one single-member district comprised of a majority of eligible minority voters – paving the way for greater political opportunity in one of the largest and most diverse school districts in North Texas.
“This is an important outcome for our client, the school district, local voters, and all who believe our political systems work best when they are inclusive,” says William A. Brewer III, partner at Brewer Storefront. “We applaud the Lewisville ISD school board for agreeing to adopt an electoral system that provides voters of color a fair opportunity to elect candidates of their choosing. We hope the board’s actions are instructive to other school boards and elected bodies.”
Eligible voters residing in each of the five single-member districts will vote for candidates running in that district in which the candidates also reside. The candidates who run for the two at-large seats may live anywhere within the school district. A public hearing to discuss the framework is scheduled for August 28, 2023.
Lewisville ISD is a very diverse school district. According to the Texas Education Agency, as of the 2021-22 school year, the school district enrolled 49,113 students. The majority-minority student body was 36.6% white, 30.7% Hispanic, 15.7% Asian, 12% African American, and 4.6% two or more races. About 33.6% of students were economically disadvantaged and 19.6% were English learners.
This lawsuit had become among the most closely followed cases of its kind. In 2020, a similar lawsuit against LISD was dismissed by a judge who found that the plaintiff, Frank Vaughan, who is white, lacked standing. That decision did not speak to the merits of the argument or whether LISD’s voting system complied with the Voting Rights Act.
“I applaud the pursuit of the prior case – in the interest of the school system and the community it serves,” says Dixon, who is African American. “I appreciate the work of the Storefront and its commitment to this issue, even as it had to travel a long road to secure this outcome. The school board’s decision to change the election system is admirable as well, especially to those of us who believe in the promise of LISD and its future generations. A new day has finally arrived at LISD.”
The Brewer Storefront successfully resolved Voting Rights Act cases with the Richardson Independent School District in 2019, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in 2015, Irving Independent School District in 2014, and the Grand Prairie Independent School District in 2014. Those school districts now utilize remodeled voting systems to elect school board trustees. The Storefront also secured trial victories in Voting Rights Act cases against the City of Grand Prairie in 2015, the City of Farmers Branch in 2012, and the City of Irving in 2009. Those lawsuits paved the way for the formation of new voting systems and the election of minority candidates.
Joining Brewer in representing Ms. Dixon were Senior Associate Gizem Petrosino, Associate Malvina Palloj, and Public Affairs Manager Katherine Leal Unmuth.
About Brewer Storefront, PLLC:
Brewer Storefront is the community-service legal affiliate of the national litigation firm of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors with offices in Dallas and New York. Founded in 1995, the Brewer Storefront tackles local and national issues, providing legal assistance to a wide range of individuals, business and community entities in need. Visit www.brewerstorefront.com.
