Federal judge rules against Herriman in school-district split lawsuit

Herriman's request to stop Salt Lake County from counting impending votes toward forming an east-side school district was denied today by a federal judge.

Judge Ted Stewart in Utah's U.S. District Court denied Herriman's request for a permanent injunction against a vote that would allow Jordan School District's east-side cities to create a new district.

In his response to Herriman's lawsuit, Stewart says he recognizes that the west side will be affected by an east-side split — if that's what east-side voters choose — but defers to Utah's Legislature as to whether the law that allows the vote should be changed.

Under current law, only east-side residents will be allowed to vote on whether they want to form a new district.

Stewart acknowledged that west-side residents will be affected with a loss of resources and funding if the east side successfully splits into a new district, but the judge did not agree that excluding west-side residents from voting on an east-side school district is unconstitutional.

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