A judge in Atlanta ruled that rightful control over the Southern Christian Leadership Conference belongs to a group that includes the son of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

King founded the organization in 1957.

The SCLC’s leadership had split after a bitter dispute. Last fall the board of directors of the SCLC decided to remove the treasurer and chairman amid local and federal investigations of misuse of funds.

Some board members sided with the ousted leaders and challenged the other members for control over the civil rights group. The two factions have been in court for nearly a year.

In his 37-page order a superior court judge spells-out the names of those he says make up the legitimate board of the SCLC. It includes Martin Luther King III. His sister Bernice King was elected president of the SCLC, but she held back from taking office until the dispute was resolved.

Tags: Southern Christian Leadership Conference, dispute, Bernice King, Jr., Martin Luther King, Martin Luther King III