PCSSD reluctantly releases records regarding former teacher

Is PCSSD a shitty district, with shitty leadership and shitty teachers?

 

Russ Racop - March 30, 2021

On March 5th Karla Lasiter, a kindergarten teacher at Crystal Hill Elementary school, forced a Black five year old student to unclog a poop and toilet paper filled commode using his bare hands.

The student's family complained and Lasiter was removed from the classroom and quickly resigned in an attempt to make the matter go away.

We sent a Freedom of Information request to the school district... and as usual, they were extremely unwilling to comply with the requirements of the AFOIA.

 ...and as usual, they were extremely unwilling to comply with the requirements of the AFOIA.

 

We waited another three days and sent another email.

The PCSSD failed to provide the materials in the statutory time. 

They blamed it on the departure of Jill Clark, a communications legal associate for the district.

PCSSD is still fuming over me providing damaging testimony against them in a lawsuit, Pulaski Cty. Special Sch. Dist. v. Delaney, 2019 Ark. App. 210, 575 S.W.3d 420 (2019),  they lost in Circuit Court and then again when they appealed the Circuit Court's decision.

 

That is a landmark FOI case cleverly filed and won by fellow blogger and attorney Matt Campbell. 

That case set a precedent: An individual can request to a public agency, that public records ion their possession be provided in electronic form (scanned) and be emailed to the requestor at NO CHARGE.

So you can see why the Pulaski County Special School District is not in any hurry to provide public records to us upon request.

The district finally provided some of the requested records today.

 

We found some interesting documents we have not seen published elsewhere.

 

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***UPDATE 0 05/03/21*** 

 A parent of a student at Chrystal Hill Elementary School forwarded a message ex-teacher Lasiter sent the families of her former students.

 We provided this to the Pulaski County Special School District and willsee if they send families a response.

 

 

DFA Security Supervisor Juanita Shermo resigns while under investigation

Juanita Shermo resigned after complaint was made by our organization

 Russ Racop - March 19, 2021

 

Earlier this month we received information from a confidential source that Juanita Shermo, Security Supervisor at the Department of Finance & Administration ("DFA") and a certified law enforcement officer, had misused her position and access to secure records to assist an individual find a birth parent. 

 

 

So we reached out to DFA and Shermo for comments. DFA responded but Shermo ghosted us.

Scott Hardin, Communications Director for DHS responded.

Apparently the information provided to us was correct as Shermo did what corrupt, guilty cops do when caught breaking the rules or law, resign before they get fired.

By resigning, any investigative file usually does not become a public record because resulting actions did not result in a suspension or termination.

We made the complaint on March 9th and Shermo resigned on March 12th.

Hardin advised us today that she was no longer employed at DFA.

 

Shermo received a payout of almost $7,000.00 for unused leave.

 

Shermo was once an Enforcement Agent and Assistant Director for DFA's Alcoholic Beverage Control.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shermo's use of confidential records for personal gains of benefit of herself or another individual violates several state laws and DFA should ask the Commission on Law Enforcement Standard & Training to de-certify her as a law enforcement officer in the State of Arkansas.

Stay tuned for updates as we have requested copies of her emails for the previous three years and other records.

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Shermo, age 53 (DOB: 9/20/1967)  lives in Sherwood.