Testimony is underway in federal Judge G. Thomas Eisele’s court on whether he should enjoin a Little Rock School Board hearing tonight to suspend Roy Brooks as superintendent. One observation so far: The employment contract that Brooks signed, which gives the Board right to accept or reject the findings of a hearing officer considering a case for termination, tends to make a “farce” of due process, Eisele said.
Board member Baker Kurrus spent about an hour on the witness stand this morning, testifying about board actions surrounding votes to start termination and suspension proceedings against Brooks. Nothing new, except that Kurrus revealed that at a March 22 executive session where board members first got a look at board President Katherine Mitchell’s preliminary list of grievances against Brooks, after board members discussed the list with Brooks, Mitchell told him she wanted him to resign. Kurrus didn’t get into what Brooks’ reaction was.
Mitchell is set to testify when court reconvenes at 1:15.