The lawsuit against the Mountain Home School District and School Board is now in the judge’s hands and a ruling could be handed down any day. After a number of local judges recused themselves from the case, Circuit Judge John Putman of Harrison is presiding over the case.
The lawsuit was filed by Fort Smith attorneys Joey McCutchen and Stephen Napurano on behalf of Melissa Klinger, who in the filing lists her address as both Baxter and Crittenden counties, and asks the court to declare text messages sent between former Superintendent Dr. Jake Long and school board members in February of 2023 constituted an illegal meeting and a violation of the open-meeting provisions of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
Marshall Ney of the Friday, Eldredge and Clark Law Firm in Rogers is representing the school district in the lawsuit. He says he filed the district’s reply to the lawsuit earlier this month.
Listen:
Ney says since the district is not arguing the facts in the case, there won’t be a trial.
Listen:
Ney says both sides last week filed orders to close the case, so it’s up to Judge Putman will issue his final ruling. A disposition sheet was filed Thursday which Ney says usually means a ruling is imminent.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI