Federal Judge Declares Georgia School Board Districts Illegal, Orders Redrawing of Map

A federal judge has ruled that the school board districts in Georgia's second-largest school system, Cobb County, are likely unconstitutional and must be redrawn before the 2024 elections. The judge issued a preliminary injunction against the current board's map, which she deemed a racial gerrymander. The district has asked the appeals court to set aside the order, claiming unfair exclusion from the litigation. The judge has ordered state lawmakers to draw a new map by January 10, but the district argues that the deadline is impossible to meet. The lawsuit alleges that Republicans illegally concentrated Black and Hispanic voters in certain districts to maintain a Republican majority. The district accuses the plaintiffs of seeking a Democratic takeover of the board through the lawsuit.