澳彩开奖

COBB COUNTY, Ga.听鈥� In a win for Black and Latinx voters, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia blocked the Cobb County School Board from using its racially gerrymandered map in an upcoming election because it violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The Court granted the听preliminary injunction听颈苍听Karen Finn, et al. v. Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration, et al. ruling that the Cobb County Board of Education map was racially gerrymandered after the 2020 U.S. Census. The injunction approves a motion to block the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration from using the current map for the 2024 election cycle. The Court will work through a process that allows a temporary map to be used in the upcoming election, which will be held on May 21, 2024.

The lawsuit the injunction stems from alleges that the gerrymandered map diminishes the ability of Black and Latinx voters in Cobb County to equally participate in the political process of electing school board members. The Cobb County School Board governs the second-largest school district in Georgia.

鈥淚 am thrilled that the Court has ruled in our favor. As a former Cobb County student, it was important for my voice and the voices of our current and former students to be heard in this case,鈥� said Hylah Daly, individual plaintiff. 鈥淲e are standing against racial inequality so that all students will have fair representation. Following this lawsuit, we are working on an awareness campaign to ensure parents, students, and community members are informed about Cobb County School District's upcoming election.鈥�

鈥淚t is essential that school board districts are drawn to represent Cobb County families and communities fairly,鈥� said Maxie Kirk-Williams, President of the League of Women Voters of Marietta-Cobb. 鈥淭he League is pleased the Court ruled to protect voters of color by striking down a school board map drawn to divide us.鈥�

鈥淐obb County voters are deeply familiar with how crucial public education is to shaping the lives of our families,鈥� said Jerry Gonzalez, CEO of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials. 鈥淲e are encouraged that the body tasked with setting policy and making important decisions for Cobb County schools will be elected using fair maps in 2024.鈥�

鈥淭he Cobb County School Board is tasked with making fundamental decisions on behalf of children and families, and we are deeply encouraged that the Court recognized that Black and Latinx voters are entitled to fair representation in electing these important local officials,鈥� said Helen Butler, Executive Director of the Georgia Coalition for the People鈥檚 Agenda. 鈥淥ur communities in Cobb County deserve to live free from racial discrimination, and this decision from the Court is a step in the right direction.鈥�

鈥淭he Court's decision is a resounding victory for voting rights,鈥� said Poy Winchakul, senior staff attorney, 澳彩开奖. 鈥淔air maps are essential to the democracy process and ensure Cobb County voters of color have an equal voice in schools.鈥澨�

鈥淲e applaud the Court鈥檚 decision to strike down the School Board maps, which unlawfully packed Black and Latinx voters into certain districts and diminished their voting power,鈥� said Rahul Garabadu, senior voting rights attorney, ACLU of Georgia. 鈥淭his is a victory for our clients and for all Cobb County voters who will now have an opportunity to vote under new, more equitable School Board district lines in the 2024 election cycle.鈥�

鈥淭his decision affirms the fundamental right of Black and Latinx voters of Cobb County to fully and fairly participate in the democratic process by having an equal opportunity to elect members of their choice to the Cobb County School Board,鈥� said Sofia Fernandez Gold, associate counsel at the Lawyers鈥� Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. 鈥淲e look forward to ensuring constitutional maps are in place for the 2024 elections.鈥�

鈥淭his is a clear victory for fair maps and equitable representation on the Cobb County School Board,鈥� said Chris Shenton, voting rights lawyer at Southern Coalition for Social Justice. 鈥淭he 14th Amendment promises that no individual will be denied equal protection under the law; The Court's order ensures that promise will be fulfilled because of our clients' efforts and courage.鈥�

鈥淭he Court righted a wrong. We are very pleased with the Court鈥檚 well-reasoned order, which ensures that the voting rights of Black and Brown voters will be protected in Cobb County,鈥� said Thomas Mott, attorney at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP working in a pro bono capacity. 鈥淚t has been a pleasure and a privilege to offer Schulte鈥檚 litigation know-how to our amazing co-counsel group, which is made up of some of the very best voting rights lawyers in the country. We look forward to continuing to fight for the rights of voters of color in Georgia.鈥�

澳彩开奖,,听,听, and听听filed the lawsuit on behalf of, ,听,听, and individual Cobb County voters, parents, educators, and former students.

The Court's order can be viewed听here, and more information about this case,听Karen Finn, et al. v. Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration, et al.,听can be found听here.