By Shirley Tarpley, NDG Staff Writer
Last school board meeting included discussion regarding the settlement of the Guillermo Ramos vs. Carrollton-Farmers Branch School Board (CFBISD) law suit alleged that the district was in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The suit contended that the district’s at-large system for electing board members denied Latino voters the right to elect representatives of their choice. Last Thursday with a 5-2 vote the board appointed Mr. Guillermo Ramos to the school board and moved the district’s election system to cumulative voting.
Welcome to the School Board Mr. Ramos, I am confident that you will serve the district well. My following comments are not meant in any way to disparage Mr. Ramos, but serve to compare and contrast the reasons for his lawsuit  and that of Richard Fleming and the different outcomes.
Compare
In June 2015 Guillermo’s Ramos sued CFBISD for its at-large election system. September 2015 in an effort to settle the lawsuit with Mr. Ramos, CFBISD trustees proposed in a settlement for Ramos to be appointed to the school board, albeit Mr. Ramos did not request such action, also the school district proposed to pay for Mr. Ramos legal fees of $60,000. On Thursday Oct. 8, 2015 three and half months since the lawsuit was filed there was a 5-2 vote by the school board to appoint Mr. Guillermo Ramos to the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD school board and pay his attorney fees of $60,000. The two votes opposing the settlement were Fleming and Randy Schackmann. A board member resigned and Mr. Ramos was immediately sworn in at the board meeting. In summary, Mr. Ramos sued CFBISD to change their at-large election system, not to be seated as a school board member, instead was appointed to the school board and had his attorney’s fees taken care of by our school district.
Contrast Â
In May 2009 Richard Fleming ran and won a successful election campaign to be elected to the Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD school board trustee place 4, after he won the election to the school board he was later denied a right to be seated to the board. So he sued CFBISD in district court and won. Five months later in October 2009 he was finally sworn in by a notary at his bank and two days later took his seat on the school board. He used $5,000 to run an effective campaign, which was used on mailers, flyers and yard signs.  His legal fees from suing the CFBISD to take Fleming’s seat amounted to $23,000.  He was not reimbursed by the School District for his attorney’s fees, even though he was the winner in the lawsuit and was elected by the taxpayers to serve on the board. After all he was elected by the taxpayers in the district to serve in a position that is non-paid. His lawsuit was an effort to be sworn in and seated to the board as an elected official.
Reasonable minds would think with four of the same school board members remaining on the school board, you would think there would be some consistency in the settlement outcome and that sound logic would prevail.  I  am still scratching my head, because for the life of me I cannot find the equity in all of this?
God Bless America, God Bless the taxpayer’s in the Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD, and God Bless our students that they grow up to be wiser than my generation and have the essential capacity for critical thinking to make consistent and sound decisions in business and their personal life.
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