David Tyson, Jr. v Richardson Independent School District, et al.

The Brewer Storefront represented David Tyson Jr. in a lawsuit against the Richardson Independent School District and the School Board Trustees.

The case centered around the electoral system of a school district in suburban Dallas, Texas. At the time of the suit, Richardson ISD had a student population of 39,000, with white students comprising less than 30% of the student body. Despite this, the seven Trustees of the school board were majority white. The lawsuit alleges the at-large voting system enabled a bloc of white voters to control the school board, resulting in a lack of representation for minority voters and a violation of article 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In subsequent litigation, the Storefront secured a settlement replacing the district’s at-large election system with a new system of two at-large districts and five single-member districts, two of which are comprised of a majority of eligible minority voters. The outcome paved the way for the election of minority trustees.