Fort Worth Star-Telegram Reports on Voting Rights Lawsuit Against Keller ISD

February 14, 2025 – The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Brewer Storefront filed a lawsuit against the Keller Independent School District (KISD) in federal court on behalf of plaintiff and Keller parent Claudio Vallejo, alleging that the district's at-large election system violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The article states that the at-large electoral system dilutes the votes of minority voters, particularly Hispanic voters. The report also referred to the current "uproar" over a proposal to split Keller ISD in half, seeking to separate the relative more affluent and white east side from the less affluent, more racially diverse west side. Five of Keller's seven board members reside on the east side. 

Attorney William A. Brewer III, partner at Brewer Storefront and lead counsel for Vallejo, provided a statement to the Star-Telegram: “The at-large election system used by Keller ISD dilutes the votes of the significant number of Hispanic citizens. Given the racial polarization that exists, white voters are able to block Hispanic voters from electing school board candidates of their choosing — those who would best represent their schools, children and community. As the controversial proposal to split the district in two underscores, the consequence of the at-large voting scheme is a collection of white trustees who are out of touch with the needs of the majority of the children who attend KISD schools.”

Read more here.

Star-Telegram Reports on Keller ISD, Potential Brewer Storefront Legal Challenge

January 24, 2025 – The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports today on emerging legal issues within the Keller Independent School District. The reporting chronicles the work of the Brewer Storefront, the legal community service affiliate of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors, and notes the Storefront’s many successful cases under the Voting Rights Act.

As reported, “At issue is the district’s [Keller ISD] at-large places in which voters select candidates from across the district to fill open school board seats. Some experts believe at-large elections unfairly favor majority voting blocs and therefore violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was established to ensure all registered voters have an equal voice.”

The alternative would be a single-member system in which voters elect representatives from subdistricts within the larger district. Over the past several years, legal challenges based on interpretations of the Voting Rights Act have pushed at least five North Texas school districts to change their electoral systems, says the article.

William Brewer, founding partner of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors, said several Keller school district residents had reached out to his firm about challenging the election rules. Those inquiries were in response to a recent proposal to split the district in half, using Denton Highway as the dividing line. The plan was met with overwhelming opposition from parents at a Jan. 16 board meeting. The next public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 30.

Brewer’s firm has successfully initiated the move away from at-large voting in the Lewisville, Richardson, Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Irving and Grand Prairie school districts. He said he plans to file the lawsuit within 45 to 60 days.

“The law says in order to force a change, you need to establish preconditions,” Brewer said. “You have to show that voting is polarized — that whites are voting for whites, Hispanics prefer voting for Hispanics and Blacks are voting for Blacks. Then you have to be able to draw districts around subgroups that are contiguous and compact. Those preconditions seem to be present in Keller.”

Read more here.

Houston Public Media Reports on Texas Voting Rights Initiative

March 19, 2024 – Houston Public Media reports on warning letters sent by Brewer Storefront to two Houston-area school districts notifying them that their at large election systems used for electing school board trustees could be violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Brewer Storefront is the community service affiliate of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors.

Letters were sent to 11 Texas school districts as a part of Brewer Storefront's newly launched Texas Voting Rights Initiative. The letters request that Houston area school districts Angleton ISD and Humble ISD adopt single member district election systems that create at least one opportunity district for Hispanic voters. 

The article notes that Brewer Storefront has brought several Voting Rights Act challenges against school districts and municipalities in Texas.

The article notes that, “Brewer Storefront, which has made legal challenges that prompted similar changes at five school districts in the Dallas area, said a lack of diversity and equitable geographic representation on school boards can result in disenfranchised voters, underfunding and achievement gaps for both schools and their individual students.”

The article reports that Sergio Lira, a Houston League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) leader,  praised Brewer Storefront for highlighting Texas school districts that could have more equitable and reflective representation on their boards. 

Houston Public Media quoted Brewer Storefront Chairman William A. Brewer III stating that, "We urge these school districts to take proactive steps in adopting election systems that comply with the Voting Rights Act and create districts that give voters of color a fair opportunity to participate in the electoral process. We believe our political institutions work best when they give all voters an opportunity to elect candidates of their choosing."

Read more here.

Brewer Storefront Launches Texas Voting Rights Initiative; Calls on Communities to Comply With Voting Rights Act of 1965

March 7, 2024, Dallas, Texas…The Brewer Storefront today announced the launch of the Texas Voting Rights Initiative (“TVRI”), a statewide effort focused on ensuring that Texas school boards operate in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (“VRA”). The Storefront undertook an extensive analysis of voting systems across Texas and believes that many operate in violation of the VRA.

The TVRI will continue to analyze voting systems used for electing school board trustees and city council members across Texas, advance written scholarship, and pursue legal action to uphold and strengthen voting rights.  

The TVRI is supported by the Brewer Storefront, the public service legal affiliate of the national litigation firm Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. Since its establishment in 1995, the Storefront has brought numerous successful voting rights lawsuits on behalf of Latino, African American and Asian voters across North Texas.

“The Texas Voting Rights Initiative will promote democratic principles and voter equality at an important time,” said William A. Brewer III, chairman of the Storefront. “We believe our political institutions work best when they give all voters an opportunity to elect candidates of their choosing.”    

Why It Matters – Equality and Opportunity in Education

A lack of diversity and equitable geographic representation on school boards often leads to underfunded schools, school and student achievement gaps, and disenfranchised voters.

In Texas, a considerable academic achievement gap still exists between white and minority students. In 2023, 64% of white students met grade level across all grades and subjects tested on the STAAR exam, compared to 42% of Hispanic students and 36% of African American students who met grade level. Given this disparity, Brewer Storefront believes the communities of color that Texas school districts educate deserve fair representation on elected school boards.

The need for a statewide voting rights initiative in Texas is critical, given its status as the nation’s second largest state, with a population exceeding 30 million people. Texas is a majority-minority state, with Hispanics as its largest population group. Despite this, many elected bodies, including local school boards and city councils, fail to reflect the state’s demographics, especially as voters of color continue to make up an increasing share of the electorate.

The TVRI’s initial focus is on school boards since as of last year, nearly three-quarters of the students enrolled in Texas public schools were children of color, and about 53% of all students were Hispanic.

The Storefront has successfully challenged many at-large election systems and inequitably drawn single-member districts. Through lawsuits filed under the Voting Rights Act, these challenges have argued that such systems deprive voters of color of a fair opportunity to meaningfully participate in the electoral process and to elect school board representatives or city council members of their choosing.   

The Storefront pursues its voting rights cases under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate based on race, color, or membership in a language minority group.   This advocacy frequently results in the establishment of single-member districts, ensuring minority voters have a fair opportunity in the electoral process and enabling them to actively participate in shaping the political landscape.

Following its assessment, the TVRI, through the Storefront, issued warning letters to 11 Texas school districts alleging violations of the Voting Rights Act. The school districts are Alamo Heights Independent School District, Angleton Independent School District, Arlington Independent School District, Corsicana Independent School District, Dumas Independent School District, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District, Garland Independent School District, Humble Independent School District, Lufkin Independent School District, New Braunfels Independent School District, and Texarkana Independent School District.

“We urge these school districts to take proactive steps in adopting election systems that comply with the Voting Rights Act and create districts that give voters of color a fair opportunity to participate in the electoral process,” Brewer said. “Elected school boards should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.”

The letters request that the school boards in these districts take corrective actions and implement opportunity districts where a majority of eligible voters are Hispanic or African American.

The Storefront previously achieved winning outcomes in Voting Rights Act cases with the Lewisville Independent School District in August 2023, Richardson Independent School District in 2019, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in 2015; City of Grand Prairie in 2015; Irving Independent School District in 2014; Grand Prairie Independent School District in 2014; City of Farmers Branch in 2012; and City of Irving in 2009. These school districts and city councils now utilize remodeled voting systems.   

 Contact:  

Katherine Leal Unmuth  

Brewer Storefront Associate Director

214.653.4832  kunmuth@brewerattorneys.com

Dallas Morning News Reports on Brewer Storefront Texas Voting Rights Initiative

March 7, 2024 – The Dallas Morning News reports that Brewer Storefont sent warning letters to 11 Texas school districts alleging that their election systems violate the Voting Rights Act. 

Brewer Storefront is the community service affiliate of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. The article reports that the letters emphasize that at large election systems used by many school districts to elect school board trustees deny voters of color an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. 

In an Interview with the Morning News, Partner William A. Brewer III emphasized the importance of diversity in school board representation, noting that "We've picked districts where we believe that the performance gaps really compel us, if we care, to try to engender a change." 

The article noted that the firm, along with sending the letters, is launching the Texas Voting Rights Initiative, a statewide effort to ensure trustee elections comply with the law.

"Our demographics have changed," Brewer said. "And our systems need to respond to that." 

Read more here.

Dallas Morning News: Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Accused of Voting Rights Violations

April 25, 2015 – The Dallas Morning News reports that a federal lawsuit filed against the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (CFBISD) by Guillermo Ramos accused the district of violating the Voting Rights Act with its at-large elections. 

The lawsuit alleged that the at-large election system denied representation to Latinos. According to the lawsuit, none of the seven trustees was Hispanic, despite the fact that about 55 percent of the students in the district are Hispanic. 

“In racially polarized communities where one group has the power to exclude another group from participation, that’s illegal,” said Ramos’ attorney, William A. Brewer III. “It’s probably more of an issue where there is a large and growing influx of Hispanics in the community.” 

Brewer argued that the creation of single-member districts would afford the Hispanic community a chance to elect Hispanic representatives to the school board. The article also mentions that Ramos previously sued the city of Farmers Branch over an ordinance barring unauthorized immigrants from housing. 

“We believe the community is entitled to single-member districts,” Brewer said. “That would afford the Hispanic community a chance to elect Hispanics to the school board.” 

The article highlights the broader context of voting rights issues in North Texas, noting that Bickel & Brewer Storefront has challenged other area voting practices, including those in Grand Prairie ISD. 

The article highlights the broader context of voting rights issues in North Texas, noting that the Storefront had challenged other area voting practices, including those in Grand Prairie ISD. 

Brewer expressed confidence that a change to the district's system would encourage more Hispanic candidates to run for the school board 

Read more here. 

Dallas Morning News: Closing Arguments Heard in Irving Voting Rights Trial

February 21, 2009 – The Dallas Morning News reports that closing arguments were held in a trial over whether the Irving City Council’s at-large voting system suppressed the votes of Hispanics and violated the Voting Rights Act. 

U.S. District Judge Jorge Solis said he hoped to decide within a month whether to require the council to create single-member districts. 

Brewer Storefront represented plaintiff Manuel Benavidez, who filed the federal lawsuit claiming that the city’s at-large voting system blocked the votes of Hispanics.  

David Ely, an expert for Benavidez, testified that he found several possible districts where eligible voters were mainly Hispanic.  

Dallas Morning News: Voting Rights Trial Set to Begin Today

February 17, 2009 – The Dallas Morning News reports that a trial was set to open in federal court in which plaintiff Manuel Benavidez sued the City of Irving, alleging that its at-large voting method for City Council elections effectively denies representation to Hispanics.  

Bill Brewer, who represented Benavidez, called the city’s defense claims “silly” and pointed out that they were ignoring data, including expert reports identifying ways to draw majority-Hispanic single-member districts. 

“Notice Irving doesn’t defend its case by pretending that the system is fair or it’s time for a change hasn’t come,” Brewer said.  

The article noted that Irving’s mayor and eight council members were white, even though white residents only comprised about 35.6 percent of the city’s population, while Hispanic made up about 40.6 percent of the population.