Fort Smith Attorney Joey McCutchen is asking prosecutors to investigate whether criminal charges should be filed against the Huntsville School District and administrators for what he called “egregious” Arkansas Freedom of Information Act violations and for failing to immediately call the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline after administrators learned of alleged sexual assaults taking place in the boys locker rooms. 

This second story in a series looks at the Huntsville School Board’s handling of sexual assault allegations. Last month, The Record focused on the victim’s story as a first in the series. In February, the Huntsville School District began the first of two Title IX investigations: one on behalf of the 2020-21 junior high basketball team and another after individual players filed complaints for actions during the 2019-20 season. The investigation into the 2020-21 season ended in May. The 2019-2020 investigation remains ongoing.

The Huntsville School District says it’s not liable for sexual assaults that took place in its locker rooms and that any legal actions should be directed at third parties, according to a pleading filed Monday by the district’s attorney, Charles Harwell. 

Huntsville School District administrators say they not only were shocked to learn in February of alleged sexual assaults by basketball players, but they also didn’t understand the severity of what had been taking place.

In addition to admitting violating open-meetings laws by failing to notify the press, and thereby the public, of expulsion hearings and board training sessions, the Huntsville School District and its board members also asked the court to strike certain allegations in a lawsuit filed in July by Witter resident Benjamin Rightsell

A parent of a student alleged to have been sexually harassed and assaulted by his Huntsville Junior High School basketball teammates during the 2020-2021 basketball season filed a Title IX lawsuit contending that the Huntsville School District knew the assaults were taking place but failed to promptly and properly investigate or stop them.

Breaking News A parent of a student who was alledged to have been sexually harassed and assaulted by members of the Huntsville Junior High School basketball team filed a Title IX lawsuit in federal court today alleging that not only did the Huntsville School District know about the harassment and assault but it also failed to take action and properly investigate.

The Huntsville School District and School Board members admit that they mistakingly believed that they did not have to notify the media as required by law of an expulsion hearing concerning allegations of sexual assault by members of the Huntsville boys basketball program. 

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office completed its investigation into the alleged sexual assaults by some members of the Huntsville junior high boys basketball team and turned its report over to Fourth Judicial Prosecuting Attorney Matt Durrett last week. 

Huntsville School District Board members violated the open-meetings law by holding an expulsion hearing during the 2020-2021 school year without notifying the media and not recording the hearing, according to a lawsuit.

A parent sued the Huntsville School District and board members in Madison County Circuit Court today for violating the state’s open-meetings law by not notifying the media of a May 3 expulsion hearing for two Huntsville students involved in a Title IX sexual assault/sexual harassment investigation.

Criminal investigations remain ongoing into sexual assault allegations involving the Huntsville boys basketball program.

Many parents are anxious for students to return to classes in the Huntsville School District in three weeks as punishment remains lacking for students involved in sexual assault allegations. 

Tempers flared Monday night as parents and community members addressed the Huntsville School Board about their anger and frustrations over a lack of discipline and transparency about Huntsville Junior High basketball players’ involvement in alleged sexual assaults against teammates.

Huntsville School District Superintendent Audra Kimball decides whether or not a person may be placed on the school board’s regular monthly meeting, according to the policy of the Huntsville School Board. 

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office is conducting interviews with junior high boys basketball players as an investigation is underway into allegations that players sexually assaulted teammates.

Huntsville High School boys’ basketball players remain under a Title IX sexual harassment/sexual assault investigation for activities in the locker room during the past two seasons as two more formal complaints were recently filed.

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Sam Bennett, a youth pastor at First Assembly of God in Huntsville, heard rumors about what had been taking place in the boys’ locker room after Huntsville Junior High School basketball games before a story about the incidents was published in the The Madison County Record on June 10.