A judge ruled Monday that a Little Rock School District employee involved in an argument with a local TV reporter was not guilty of criminal trespass, court records show.
Little Rock District Judge Hugh Finkelstein acquitted Lance Fritchman, 52, and removed an order that barred him from contacting reporter Mitchell McCoy and Austin Kellerman, news director at NBC affiliate KARK and Fox affiliate KLRT.
Fritchman, who is listed as a coach on the McClellan High School website, was arrested in March after calling McCoy and visiting the station, police previously said.
McCoy had challenged Fritchman's social media posts that questioned why there is no white history month and criticized the looks of participants in marches for women's rights, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported.
Officers wrote in a report that Fritchman had gone to the KARK and KLRT studios in the Victory Building at 1401 W. Capitol Ave. multiple times and left messages telling McCoy to "come out and let's handle this man to man."
An account bearing Fritchman's name posted a tweet Monday evening celebrating the ruling.
@FOX16News @AustinKellerman @KARK4News @MitchellMcCoy Not only was I found not guilty of criminal trespass, the judge also through out the order of protection for you and Sweet Boy Mitch. I must not have been aggressive enough. Secondly, I was never suspended. Applying efforting!
— Lance Fritchman (@LanceFritchman) September 18, 2018
Fritchman had been placed on paid administrative leave before he was taken into custody, Little Rock School District spokesman Pamela Smith previously told the newspaper. A McClellan High School official said Tuesday that Fritchman remains an employee.