Voting Rights Victory

May 2, 2012

PCW Wins One for Lexington County

On April 16, 2012, a long running legal battle ended in a victory for Parks, Chesin & Walbert client, Lexington County School District. The ACLU challenged the at-large voting system used in the district as discriminatory under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. PCW attorneys A. Lee Parks and Regan Keebaugh were successful in showing that in all recent elections, African-American candidates were elected and African-American voters were able to elect their preferred candidates (white or black) to the district.

This case is not just a victory for Lexington District #3; it is proof positive that we have come a long way as a nation in just a very short period of time. The color of one’s skin is no longer viewed as a litmus test for most voters. One day, we may reach the goal of living in a truly colorblind society, where our successes are measured by merit alone.

Parks, Chesin & Walbert has a long history of working hard for racial and constitutional justice, from desegregation to voting rights. Lexington District #3 is another in a long line of satisfied clients:

Lee, I just want to say Congratulations and a very big Thank You to you and your team for an outstanding job in representing us …. Ralph Kennedy stated to the board that your firm should be considered to represent us because you were the best and he was 100% correct. I don’t think we would have been able to prove our point regarding the fairness of the current system without your expert knowledge. Again, thank you and congratulations on a job well done!

– Cheryl Burgess, Chair, Lexington District #3 Board of Trustees