Background Info
Desegregation in Dallas Independent School District
In June 2003, Judge Barefoot Sanders declared that “the segregation prohibited by the United States Constitution… no longer exists in the DISD.” This ruling ended more than three decades of federal oversight and marked the conclusion of one of the longest-running school desegregation cases in the nation.
For a list of the works written about desegregation in Dallas schools, see our DISD Desegregation Litigation Bibliography. For questions about this collection or to request access to these materials, contact us.
Early Resistance to Desegregation
Following the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, Dallas moved slowly to integrate its public schools. Voters strongly opposed desegregation, and early legal challenges were rejected by local courts. By 1961, Dallas remained the largest Southern city with a segregated school system.
That year, under federal pressure, DISD implemented the “Stairstep Plan,” allowing a small number of Black students to attend previously all-white schools. The effort, however, fell short of meaningful integration.
The Tasby Lawsuit
In 1970, Sam Tasby filed a federal lawsuit alleging that DISD continued to operate a dual school system in violation of federal law. A federal judge agreed, launching decades of court supervision.
Throughout the 1970s, multiple desegregation plans were proposed, revised, and rejected, often over disputes related to busing, attendance zones, and equity in educational access.
Court Oversight and Reform
Judge Barefoot Sanders assumed oversight in the early 1980s. He concluded that busing alone could not resolve segregation and approved a new approach focused on neighborhood schools, magnet programs, and long-term structural changes.
In 1983, DISD accepted the court’s plan, ending its resistance to federal oversight. The district remained under court supervision for the next twenty years.
Conclusion of the Case
In 2003, Judge Sanders formally released DISD from court oversight, concluding that it had met its constitutional obligations. The decision closed a significant chapter in Dallas history and marked a turning point in the district’s approach to equity and educational access.
About Judge Sanders
Judge Sanders was a Dallas native and a graduate of North Dallas High School. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he earned his law degree from the University of Texas in 1950 and practiced law in Dallas for many years. He served three terms in the Texas Legislature, where he helped author major legislation, including the Texas Securities Act and the Texas Probate Code.
His federal service included appointments as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice—where he played a role in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965—and Legislative Counsel to President Lyndon B. Johnson.
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He later served as Chief Judge and held several national judicial leadership roles. During his tenure, Judge Sanders presided over the Tasby desegregation case and major civil rights litigation involving state hospitals and schools.
Lead Counsel for the Plaintiffs
The plaintiffs in Tasby v. Estes were represented by attorneys from several civil rights organizations, including Dallas Legal Services, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. Edward B. Cloutman III served as lead counsel throughout the case.
Mr. Cloutman earned his law degree from Louisiana State University in 1969. He later served on the adjunct faculty at SMU Dedman School of Law, teaching courses in employment law, employment discrimination, and civil rights legislation.
A sole practitioner in Dallas, Mr. Cloutman specialized in civil rights litigation, employee and labor representation, and employment arbitration. He also represented plaintiffs in several other high-profile cases and held leadership roles within the State Bar of Texas.
Lead Counsel for DISD
DISD was represented in the Tasby litigation by the law firm of Strasburger & Price, with Robert Hyer Thomas serving as lead trial attorney.
Mr. Thomas earned his law degree from Southern Methodist University in 1957, where he served as Associate Editor of the Southwestern Law Journal, and graduated magna cum laude from SMU in 1953.
He held numerous leadership roles throughout his career, including President of the Dallas Bar Association, Director of the State Bar of Texas, Fellow of the American College of Probate Counsel, Chairman of the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and Chairman of the Fifth Circuit Judicial Conference. He received SMU’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in both 1988 and 1995.
Photo credit: DISD teacher helping students with their assignment in 1977. From the collections of the Texas/Dallas History and Archives Division, Dallas Public Library.