August 25, 2007 - A group of taxpayers is challenging the constitutionality of using tax revenue to make severance payments to buyout of $635,000 a school district superintendent. The Arkansas Supreme Court granted a temporary stay, but one day after the school district paid former Little Rock School District Superintendent Roy Brooks.
The activity at the Supreme Court on Friday capped a week in which the School Board held a hastily called meeting Tuesday evening to approve a proposed financial settlement between the board and Brooks.They made payments totalling nearly $600,000, knowing that the Arkansas Supreme Court had yet to act.
The settlement was put into final written form Wednesday and then signed by Brooks, his attorney, two School Board officers, and the board’s attorney Wednesday and Thursday.
The agreement called for the preparation of seven checks, including one of $ 350, 101. 74 to Brooks and another of $ 193, 069. 42 to Brooks’ attorneys at the Williams & Anderson law firm.
The other checks in amounts ranging from $ 5, 076 to $ 49, 014 were earmarked for various insurance, investment and retirement organizations, some based in Arkansas and others based outside the state.
The school district attorney argued that they payments were more than severance pay, but financial settlement of all claims that Brooks has against the district, and it pays Brooks for his legal fees and for his cooperation in some lawsuits involving the district.
See some other, what we call, Bad Hiring Decisions - here here here
