The Brewer Storefront announced on January 17, 2019, that a settlement was reached with the Richardson Independent School District (“Richardson ISD”) in the Voting Rights Act and Texas Open Meetings Act (“TOMA”) lawsuits filed against the school district last year on behalf of plaintiff and former Richardson ISD school board trustee David Tyson, Jr.
The parties’ agreement resolves all claims against Richardson ISD. All seven members of Richardson ISD’s school board are currently elected at-large. Mr. Tyson claimed that the district’s voting scheme violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The agreement provides for a new electoral system consisting of five single-member districts and two at-large districts.
“We are pleased that the Richardson ISD school board agreed to adopt an electoral system that provides minority voters a fair opportunity to participate in the political process,” said William A. Brewer III, partner at Brewer Storefront, the firm’s community service legal affiliate. “We also commend the board members for taking steps to provide greater transparency in connection with their decision making. This is a transformational outcome for the local community – a moment that celebrates all who were part of this agreement and hopefully provides instruction to other school boards across the state.”
Joining Brewer in representing Mr. Tyson were Partner Michael J. Collins and Katherine Leal Unmuth of the Brewer Storefront’s Public Affairs Division.
The Dallas Morning News, Texas Tribune and other media outlets reported on the news. The Dallas Morning News published an article on the settlement on the front page of the January 18, 2019, newspaper.
Richardson ISD Slaps Back At Ex-Trustee Who Filed Voting Rights Suit, Says System Isn't Broken
The Dallas Morning News columnist James Ragland reported on March 12, 2018, "Richardson ISD, you’re on the wrong side of this lawsuit." The column explores a voting rights lawsuit filed recently by the Brewer Storefront against Richardson ISD. The column observes, "When the only minority trustee who has ever been elected tells you that the system is broken and that minority parents feel disengaged, and when the system isn't working out well for students of color, 'That should be reason enough to get to the table,' said firm partner William A. Brewer III."
Ragland interviewed Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD board member Candace Valenzuela, who became the first Latina and African-American female elected to that board following a previous Brewer Storefront lawsuit against that district that resulted in a successful settlement. Valenzuela commented, "People don't understand that voting is a feedback loop, meaning that if you're in a group that's been disproportionately underrepresented, it discourages participation... By facilitating for the community, you're going to get a lot more participation."
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2018/03/09/richardson-isd-slaps-back-ex-trustee-filed-voting-rights-lawsuit-says-system-isnt-broken
Storefront Lawsuit Claims Richardson ISD Electoral System Violates Voting Rights Act
Brewer Storefront filed suit in federal court on January 26, 2018, on behalf of plaintiff David Tyson, Jr. against the Richardson Independent School District (RISD), alleging that the school district’s election system violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965 because it denies fair representation to African Americans and other non-white voters. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, the lawsuit claims that the school district’s at-large voting system denies African American, Latino and Asian voters a fair opportunity to elect school board representatives of their choice. The Storefront is the community service legal affiliate of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors.
“Many in the community – our client included – believe that Richardson ISD is unfairly denying people of color an equal opportunity to participate in the electoral process,” says William A. Brewer III, partner at Brewer Storefront and lead counsel for plaintiffDavid Tyson. “Our hope is that the school board’s leadership will recognize its responsibility to embrace a more inclusive future – one that provides representation for this multiracial and ethnically diverse school district.”
KERA News reported on the lawsuit, and The Dallas Morning News also published a front page article about the case, and Fox 4 Dallas aired a TV report on the lawsuit.
Dallas Morning News Columnist James Ragland also wrote favorably about the case in a column titled, "It's time to change how Richardson ISD elects its trustees, and David Tyson is the man to do it."