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Public commenter alleges district concealed painting contracts, cites Arkansas tampering statutes
Summary
At the Nashville School District meeting a public commenter, DJ Hibbert, said public-records requests showed painting contracts despite earlier denials and cited Arkansas statutes on tampering with public records, telling a district official 'You, sir, are under arrest.' The board did not provide an on-the-record response in the transcript.
During the public-comment portion of the Nashville School District board meeting DJ Hibbert (public commenter, S4) said he made a July 16 public-records request for painting contracts covering the last five fiscal years and initially received a response he interpreted as saying the district had no painting contracts. Hibbert said that when he then requested records tied to a specific contractor in August, he found documents he believes are contracts bearing a signature he identified as Doug Graham's.
Hibbert cited Arkansas criminal statutes in his remarks, referencing Ark. Code § 55-54-121 on tampering with a public record and other code provisions governing authority to arrest, and he told an official in the room, "You, sir, are under arrest." He stated that concealing or falsely altering public records is a felony under Arkansas law and said he had performed a citizen's arrest.
The transcript does not include a recorded response from the superintendent or board members to Hibbert's allegations. No formal board action related to the allegation was taken during the meeting according to the public transcript.
Why it matters: Hibbert's claim, if substantiated, would allege criminal mishandling of public records and could trigger administrative or legal follow-up. The board's public minutes and the requested records would be necessary to verify the factual basis of the allegation.
What the transcript records: Hibbert reads dates and cites statutory language and evidentiary observations about signatures on documents; the board acknowledged the public comment period and moved on to other agenda items. The meeting minutes and records produced in response to Hibbert's requests are not included in the public transcript and were not produced on the record during this meeting.
Next steps: The allegation in the public comment remains unresolved in the meeting transcript; verification requires inspection of the records Hibbert referenced and, if warranted, follow-up by the board or appropriate authorities.
