FORT SMITH, Ark. (AP) - The Arkansas Court of Appeals has dismissed a complaint that the Fort Smith Board of Education violated the Freedom of Information Act while voting to scrap a high school mascot.
The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (https://bit.ly/2nnzktn ) reports Appeals Court Judge Larry Vaught ruled in favor of the board Wednesday regarding a lawsuit filed on behalf of resident June Bradshaw. Vaught agreed with a Sebastian County ruling to dismiss the suit.
The suit says the board violated FOIA’s open-meeting requirements when holding a June 2015 meeting to consider removing the Rebel as Southside High School’s mascot and “Dixie” as the fight song.
Sebastian County ruled that the board followed the law by providing notice of the meeting.
Vaught says a racially-motivated church shooting earlier and the debate over Confederate symbols prompted the board to remove the mascot and fight song.
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Information from: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, https://www.nwaonline.com
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