The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit on June 15, 2014 in federal court seeking an injunction against further use of a malapportioned districting plan for the Jasper County School District in South Carolina.
The South Carolina Legislature has had an adequate opportunity to fix the districting plan, but has failed to do so. The plaintiffs have asked the federal court to implement a remedial plan that complies with one person, one vote so that they and all voters in Jasper County will have an equal vote in the upcoming 2014 election.
UPDATE: The U.S. District Court found that the existing districts were unconstitutional. Judge Richard Gergel cancelled the November elections and gave the legislature until March 1, 2015 to redraw the districts. The legislature failed at this task.
On April 30, 2015, Judge Gergel issued an order which, in part, gives the voters of Jasper County the opportunity to elect a School Board. All of our plaintiffs are pleased with the districts mandated by the order. The new election should take place in late August or September 2015, which was determined in the order of the court.
