Ark. court stops superintendent payout

The Arkansas Supreme Court on Friday halted a $635,000 buyout the Little Rock School Board approved for its fired superintendent, but district lawyers said nearly all the money has already been paid.

A group of parents challenging the board's decision to fire superintendent Roy Brooks asked for the temporary injunction until the court can hear their appeal of a lower-court dismissal of a suit objecting to the buyout.

The high court convenes next month for its fall term.

The parents claim that state law prohibits using public money on severance pay or spending public money when no value is received in return.

The board of the state's largest school district voted in May to dismiss Brooks and pay him the money that he would have received under his contract, which was set to expire June 30, 2009. The board voted Tuesday to pay the money to buy out Brooks' contract.

Attorneys for the district said in a separate filing Friday that $580,909 had already been distributed.

"They seek this new relief on Friday afternoon literally a day late (and several dollars short)!" wrote Chip Welch, an attorney for the district.

Brooks did not immediately return a call Friday afternoon. Clay Stone, an attorney representing the former superintendent, declined to comment on the court's order.

"If the board has distributed the money, they better hustle around and try to get it back," said John Gill, an attorney for the parents.

Brooks' last day as superintendent was Thursday and Linda Watson began work Friday as interim superintendent of the 26,000-student district, Little Rock schools spokesman Joe Mittiga said.

Board President Katherine Mitchell has said Brooks, who is black, was nonresponsive to black school patrons, encouraged some teachers to leave their union and worked on draft state legislation without the seven-member board's approval. The four black members of the board voted to fire Brooks; its white members voted to keep him.

The dispute over Brooks' future comes as the city prepares next month to mark the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School.