Trial in suit against Ferguson-Florissant district to begin

ST. LOUIS -- Problems with racial bias already have led to reforms of Ferguson's police department and municipal court.

This week, attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union will argue in federal court a school district serving Ferguson, Missouri, students also needs an overhaul of the process for electing board members.

A federal trial starts today in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU on behalf of the Missouri NAACP and three residents who live within the Ferguson-Florissant School District in north St. Louis County.

The lawsuit alleges the district's practice of selecting the seven school board members at-large makes it more difficult for black candidates to win election.

It was filed in December 2014, just months after 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black and unarmed, was shot shot during a street confrontation with white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. A St. Louis County grand jury declined to charge Wilson, who resigned in November 2014.

Brown's death led to protests, was a catalyst in the national Black Lives Matter movement and prompted a federal investigation into the city's police department and municipal court. The U.S. Department of Justice's scathing report, released in March, led to the resignations of Ferguson's city manager, police chief and municipal judge and resulted in several police and court reforms.

The Ferguson-Florissant School District serves about 12,000 students in parts of 11 municipalities. While the residents of the district are nearly evenly split between black and white, 77 percent of students are black, in part because many white parents send their children to private and parochial schools.

Five of the district's seven board members are white. Members serve staggered three-year terms and are chosen at-large in April elections.

The ACLU contends the process violates the Voting Rights Act, and black people would be served better by election by ward or subdistrict.

"Under the circumstances of this district, at-large voting has the effect of diluting African-American votes and making it more difficult for them to elect candidates of their choice," according to ACLU attorney Tony Rothert said.

In a statement, school district attorney Cindy Ormsby said Ferguson-Florissant's practice of electing board members at-large mirrors that of most districts in Missouri and does not violate the Voting Rights Act.

"On the contrary, we will show that the Ferguson-Florissant School District has a long history of African-American representation under the existing rules," she said, while election by district would be a significant setback for black candidates "and undermine the ability of the school board to do its job."

The trial is expected to last about a week, Rothert said.