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Hidden Valley residents file redistricting suit against City of Charlotte

Cedric Dean and Charlene Henderson's complaint claims the city is violating its constitutional rights as leaders prepare to approve new voting districts.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A newly filed lawsuit accuses the City of Charlotte of disenfranchising voters.

Cedric Dean and Charlene Henderson, a former candidate for Charlotte City Council, filed the federal lawsuit on Friday. 

Their complaint claims the city is violating their constitutional rights as leaders prepare to approve new voting districts following the latest U.S. Census.

In their lawsuit, the residents of Hidden Valley, a neighborhood in northeast Charlotte, say most of the city's proposed new maps "have a racially discriminatory purpose."

RELATED: Charlotte preparing to redraw district lines, facing opposition from some residents

"We are respectfully requesting a Court order for an independent commission to oversee the redistricting process if precincts of color are not allowed to stay in District 4," they wrote in their complaint.

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The lawsuit comes after Henderson told WCNC Charlotte earlier this month, the city is pushing parts of her community into a district that has no common interests. 

In all but one of the city's redistricting options, Hidden Valley would move from District four to District one, which is made up of other areas of Charlotte like Uptown and NoDa.

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Councilmember Malcom Graham previously told WCNC Charlotte none of the plans diminish the Black vote in any districts.

RELATED: GOP looking to make inroads in NC communities of color

Contact Nate Morabito at nmorabito@wcnc.com and follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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