Some call to remove Hot Springs School District superintendent | Here’s why

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — An emergency meeting of the Hot Springs school board was called on Thursday, regarding the employment of Superintendent Stephanie Nehus after her husband was arrested on a parole violation.

Zachary Nehus was arrested on a parole violation earlier this week, which stemmed from a 2015 charge and a 2016 conviction for over 30 counts of distributing, possessing, or viewing matter depicting child sexual abuse materials. 

Parents who were in attendance at the meeting took to protesting and were asking for the district to relieve Stephanie Nehus of her duties as superintendent of the Hot Springs School District.

After an executive session, it was decided that Dr. Stephanie Nehus would be kept in the superintendent’s role and continue to lead the district.

However, many parents were unhappy with that decision and showcased their frustrations by holding up signs and chanting.

Several parents expressed how they would have preferred to see Dr. Stephanie Nehus either removed from her current role as superintendent or for her to step down.

“I don’t believe she should be over any children right now at all,” explained Susan Robinson, whose children attend Hot Springs High.

She said that while she feels her children are safe in the school district, she’s concerned about the district as a whole. 

Meanwhile, Shaina Robinson, whose three children are also in the school district, said that her concern is that the school board has been supporting Dr. Stephanie Nehus.

“It’s kind of disgusting that they would allow her to be a superintendent knowing that she’s supporting him [Zachary Nehus] and standing behind him,” she added.

Shaina Robinson is just one of the many parents who have called on Dr. Stephanie Nehus to step down or for the district to part ways with her.

“You should not have any type of say-so in a school district when we have more than one school here; there are five or six that she is head of, and no, it’s not okay. She needs to go,” she said.

She expressed that if Dr. Stephanie Nehus doesn’t step down, then she might be forced to look at other districts to transfer her children to.

Another parent with a child in the district explained how, after learning about Dr. Stephanie Nehus’ husband, her son will no longer be attending the district in the coming school year.

“If she steps down, maybe in a year we will come back. I love this district and everything that it stands for, but not currently though. Let’s go back to our old morals, let’s go back to who we were,” explained Daniela Mayen.

She also said that what concerns her the most is how the superintendent has seemingly brought her personal life into the district.

“She is making this a personal issue; she is not being professional at all, and that’s where I think her judgment is completely blurred,” Mayen added.

Following the executive session, where the decision was made to allow Dr. Stephanie Nehus to continue as superintendent, the Hot Springs School District released the following statement:

“The Board of Directors of the Hot Springs School District is fully committed to student safety and is horrified by all forms of child abuse and child sexual exploitation. We understand that the community shares this deep commitment to children and to this district. At this point, with only 4 of 5 board members present, the board does not feel equipped to make any decision concerning to leadership and staffing. At this time, Dr. [Stephanie] Nehus will continue to lead this district, and she has the support of the school board. The board plans to call a special board meeting on May 15th to reconsider this matter when more information is available and when all board members can be present.”

The department of parole and probation has stated that this is an ongoing investigation, and they cannot release any further information in regards to the parole violation.