Education

Federal News Roundup

January 23, 1985 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The Justice Department this month filed civil suits under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 against two boards of education, alleging that their method of electing members discriminates against black voters in one case and Hispanic voters in the other.

In the first case, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, the department sued the Wilkes County (Ga.) Board of Education, claiming that half of the county’s black population is packed into one “single, grossly overpopulated district ... impermissibly submerg[ing] the voting strength of black citizens.”

Although nearly half of Wilkes County’s population is black, all five members of the school board are3white. One each was elected from the four districts and the chairman was elected at large.

The second case, filed in U.S. District Court in New Mexico, involves the Roswell (N.M.) Independent School District Board of Education and also includes the Chaves County Board of Commissioners.

Thirty percent of the Roswell population is Hispanic, but only one of the five members of the school board is Hispanic, the department said in its complaint. It charged that an at-large voting system dilutes the voting strength of Hispanics.

The Justice Department last week intervened in a lawsuit on behalf of two white Birmingham, Ala., firefighters who are challenging the promotion of blacks in the city’s fire department as discriminatory.

Educators are closely watching this suit and others like it because their outcomes could affect hiring practices for teachers and other employees.

According to the Justice Department’s civil-rights division, the city violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 “by pursuing policies and practices that discriminate against white men in promotion to fire lieutenant and fire captain.”

In papers filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama on Jan. 14, the department alleged that blacks have been promoted in preference to “demonstrably better-qualified whites” exclusively on the basis of race and without regard to relative qualifications.

The suit asks the court to permanently enjoin the city from promoting blacks over better-qualified whites and to require the city to compensate victims of the allegedly discriminatory policy with promotions, back pay, and retroactive seniority. The case is Wilkes v. Arrington.

During the past two years, the civil-rights agency has intervened in similar “reverse-discrimination” suits involving police and fire departments in Memphis, Detroit, and Boston.

A version of this article appeared in the January 23, 1985 edition of Education Week as Federal News Roundup

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Substitute Teacher Staffing Simplified: 5 Strategies for Success
Struggling to find quality substitute teachers? Join our webinar to learn key strategies to keep your classrooms covered and students learning.
Content provided by Kelly Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI in Education: Empowering Educators to Tap into the Promise and Steer Clear of Peril
Explore the transformative potential of AI in education and learn how to harness its power to improve student outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
English Learners Webinar Family and Community Engagement: Best Practices for English Learners
Strengthening the bond between schools and families is key to the success of English learners. Learn how to enhance family engagement and support student achievement.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: October 2, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 18, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 28, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read