Department of Justice Seal Department of Justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2003
WWW.USDOJ.GOV
CRT
(202) 514-2008
TDD (202) 514-1888

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES RESOLUTION
OF VOTING LAW VIOLATIONS IN NEW YORK


WASHINGTON, D.C.- Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Ralph F. Boyd, Jr. and United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Roslynn R. Mauskopf today announced that they have filed in the federal district court for the Eastern District of New York a complaint and consent decree with the Brentwood Union Free School District in Suffolk County, New York over violations of the language minority provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The agreed-upon settlement outlined in the consent decree with the Brentwood school district remedies the district’s failure to provide Spanish-language assistance to voters as required under the Voting Rights Act. The consent decree in United States v. Brentwood Union Free School District, et al. is subject to approval by the court.

"It is vitally important that all Americans enjoy the rights they are guaranteed under the Voting Rights Act," said Boyd. "Federal law entitles certain persons to receive language assistance in the form of translated written materials and oral assistance. Where that assistance is denied we will do what is necessary to ensure that the law is followed."

“Brentwood’s Spanish-speaking citizens should not have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process. We are pleased that the Brentwood school district has agreed to implement procedures that will protect the rights of Spanish-speaking voters to participate fully in the electoral process in compliance with the Voting Rights Act,”said Mauskopf.

The complaint was filed over violations of Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires the school district to provide materials and information relating to the electoral process in Spanish. The school district had not translated all of its election documents and information into Spanish, and failed to assign a sufficient number of bilingual poll officials to polling sites with significant numbers of Spanish-speaking voters.

In addition to enjoining further violations of Section 203, the consent decree requires the Brentwood school district to appoint a Spanish Language Assistance Coordinator to ensure that Spanish-speaking citizens receive full and complete information in Spanish about all stages of the electoral process; investigate and remove poll workers who have engaged in hostile treatment of Spanish-speaking and/or Hispanic voters; and provide sufficient numbers of poll officials who are bilingual in Spanish and English to assist voters.

Under the consent decree, the school district must train poll officials on the legal requirements of the Voting Rights Act. The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York will monitor future elections to ensure the district’s compliance with the consent decree.

"Officials in the Brentwood school district are committed to reforming their voting procedures to ensure that they comply with the Voting Rights Act," said Boyd. "We appreciate the cooperation and good faith demonstrated by the school board during our investigation of this matter, and their willingness to negotiate effective resolutions of the concerns raised in our Complaint. The goal of both sides is to ensure genuine reform before the next school board election."

###

03-335