Oark Coaching Hire Is Rescinded By Board After Concerns Raised

Members of the Jasper School Board voted during their monthly meeting Monday, July 17, to rescind the hiring of a coach at Oark after a group of parents voiced concerns.

Tracy Jones was employed by the district for a teaching and coaching position at Oark during the Board’s June 19 meeting. He had previously coached at Oark and also coached at St. Paul, where in 2009 he was the subject of an internal investigation after it was revealed he had exchanged hundreds of text messages with a female student, according to reporting by the Madison County Record in Huntsville.

The prosecuting attorney declined to pursue criminal charges against Jones in the case; however, he was found in violation of the state code of ethics for educators and was sanctioned by the Arkansas Board of Education’s Professional Licensure Standards Board. The licensure board placed Jones’ teaching license on probationary status for two years and levied a $75 fine.

According to the state department of education’s website, Jones has a current teaching license with no violations. However, after his hiring at Oark was announced, numerous parents and school patrons voiced concerns about the situation on social media and through contacts to the district administration, according to emails received by The Graphic…

For the full story see the July 26, 203 edition of The Graphic.