State Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit challenging Little Rock district takeover

The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by former school board members and a parent challenging the state's takeover of the Little Rock School District.

Arkansas' Board of Education took control of the district in January after six of the Little Rock schools were classified as being in academic distress.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court said the lawsuit was "not sufficient to establish that the [state Board of Education] acted arbitrarily, capriciously, in bad faith or in a wantonly injurious manner" when it took control of the district earlier this year, adding that the board is immune from such legal action.

Exceptions to the sovereign immunity protection can be granted if a government agency's action is beyond its legally granted authority.

"Most of the allegations recited above are not factual; they are instead largely legal conclusions and speculation," the ruling states, referring to a number of the plaintiffs' arguments, including that the state did not have have a plan to "significantly change" academic improvement efforts already in progress at the district.

Another pending lawsuit filed earlier this month by a group of civil-rights attorneys led by state Rep. John Walker seeks to reverse the takeover and address "unconstitutional policies and practices," the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details on Thursday's ruling.

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