North Little Rock Superintendent Kelly Rodgers responded indirectly today to reports about the district’s move to fire football coach Brad Bolding, apparently over equipment purchases. Bolding has said he’ll fight the termination and hopes to prevail.
His statement:
Over the past several days, the North Little Rock School District has received a number of requests for records pursuant to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and for public comment regarding a personnel matter involving a District employee. The District has responded by making available all non-exempt records in compliance with the Act. The law exempts in some cases certain personnel records which implicate employees’ privacy interests or constitute employee evaluation and job-performance records.
The District understands the importance of communicating information to its patrons, strives to maintain good relations with the media, and regularly accommodates requests for interviews. In all personnel matters, the privacy rights of the District employee take precedence. In keeping with the District’s standard practice, and with the intent to preserve the fairness and impartiality of the District’s board members at any potential board hearing on the matter, District board members and administrators have refrained from making public comments regarding this personnel matter.