King, New Sumter School Board Attorney

MILLARD K. IVES Staff Writer  - AMERICUS  A veteran lawyer who specializes in election and school litigation has been chosen by the Sumter County Board of Education as its attorney.

Maurice Luther King, Jr., of Maurice L. King, Jr Law Office in Albany, GA started his duties last month after the ousting of long-time firm Harben, Hartleyand Hawkins of Atlanta, GA. Matt Wright, president of the area NAACP, said the Civil Rights group, who has often had issues with the school board, applauds the decision. "We expect him to do a great job," Wright said.

King has been practicing law since 1996, shortly after receiving a law degree from the University of Tennessee. He also has a Bachelors Degree in political science and a Masters Degree in public administration from the University of West Georgia. He has litigated elections and school issues in front of the Georgia Supreme Court, including that of former School Board Chairman Henry Cook's case against Randolph County's School Board. "He's the kind of person we need," Wright said.

In that case he was able to get the Court to declare a law passed by the Georgia General Assembly and signed by the governor as unconstitutional. He has argued in front of the Georgia Supreme Court this year on a school issue.

King also was the attorney for NAACP members, including some in Albany; who have remained in their branch even though the State NAACP president, Ed Dubose tried to oust them citing issues of late and partial payment of dues.

King comes aboard shortly after another attorney, Jimmy Skipper, notified the Sumter County school board of his resignation as legal counsel, apparently over its redistricting plan. According to a copy of a letter to Board Chair Edith Ann Green, Skipper referred to recent majority vote to direct its attorney to withdraw the submissions for pre-clearance in respect to Senate Bill 154 and Senate Bill 4EX, which pertain to the BOE's redistricting plan.

The letter states that Skipper had warned the Board against taking action as it "appears to conflict with the provision of the legislation adopted by the General Assembly" and said it "puts me in an untenable position."

I appreciate the opportunity to have served as local legal counsel for the School Board for so many years. Very truly yours," Skipper concluded. Skipper apparently told Superintendent Roy Brooks in a separate letter "it is more appropriate for the official notice of that withdrawal decision to come directly from the School Board."

"Skipper was present at the last school board meeting the day before he resigned and listened to NAACP President Matt Wright present the facts about the redistricting plan that Skipper wanted to submit to the U.S. Department of Justice. He made it very clear that the 2010 majority White school board produced a plan which would reverse a 6-3 Black majority to a 5-2 White majority. He failed to inform the public that the law is not final until the Justice Department pre-clears the plan," says the former NAACP president and publisher of the Americus Sumter Observer newspaper. "Attorney Maurice King will be the first Black school board attorney since the Sumter County school system has been in existence," says Marshall.

Maurice Luther King, Jr., of

Maurice L. King Jr. Law Office

in Albany, GA.