Soliz

A Santa Clarita man filed suit Tuesday against the Saugus Union School District, alleging its at-large elections are in violation of the California Voting Rights Act, according to court documents.

Jim Soliz, who also sued the city and COC, seeks “injunctive relief requiring the SUSD to implement district-based elections or other alternative relief tailored to remedy SUSD’s violation of the CVRA.”

Saugus Union is one of the only school districts locally that hasn’t changed its elections after several lawsuits challenging Santa Clarita Valley governing boards were sent out over CVRA violations, according to an attorney involved with the case.

“For the last nearly two years, the city and community college district and school districts have been working on changing their dilutive electoral systems with the notable exception of the Saugus Union School District,” said Kevin Shenkman of Shenkman & Hughes, which is the firm representing the plaintiff. “And we just couldn’t wait any longer hoping that they’ll do the right thing on their own.”

Saugus Union board member Judy Umeck said the board has been looking at the issue for a while, noting school officials asked the county for permission to consolidate its elections with the November vote on even years to improve voter turnout.

The county denied the request in April 2013, just as a similar request made by College of the Canyons officials was denied Tuesday on the recommendation of Dean Logan, who said the county could not accommodate such a request.

“Saugus Union School officials are planning to discuss CVRA compliance at an upcoming board meeting,” Umeck said. “We’re disappointed because we feel like we’ve done a good job of rep all the children in our district.”

The board also hosts workshops instructing community members on how to run for office, she said, noting the district’s past efforts to increase participation.

Soliz’s complaint alleges that the “imposition of SUSD’s at-large method of election has resulted in vote dilution for the Latino residents and has denied them effective political participation in elections to the SUSD Board of Trustees.”

The complaints cites the “apparent and compelling” effects of the at-large elections, namely the election of Stephen Winkler.

“That disregard for minority citizens in the SUSD was put on full display in 2013 when Stephen Winkler, one of five Trustees on the SUSD Board, was found to have posted internet comments expressing support for Nazism, slavery and segregation,” the complaint continues.

Winkler was a board member whose seat was vacated by SUSD officials in a 4-1 vote (Winkler opposed) in 2013. The other board members censured Winkler for allegedly making the bizarre and racist online comments referenced in the complaint. His seat was vacated shortly thereafter when board members determined Winkler was maintaining a residence outside of the district.

The complaint notes there’s been correspondence with the board dating back to 2014 in an effort to avoid the lawsuit.

“Despite that correspondence, and SUSD seeing other political subdivisions in the Santa Clarita Valley convert their elections to district-based elections or at least a fair representation form of  voting, SUSD is still dithering in inaction, content to continue violating the CVRA,” the complaint alleges.

In nearly every contested election in the SUSD – from city council to community college board, and even tax assessor and district attorney – voting has been racially polarized, according to the documents.

No California Voting Rights Act lawsuit has ever been successfully defended.

In response to a similar complaint, College of the Canyons officials agreed to move its elections to November and employ cumulative voting, as has the city of Santa Clarita and Castaic Union School District.

The Newhall, Sulphur Springs and William S. Hart Union High school districts are in the process of moving to district-based elections.