An Arkansas school superintendent had his license suspended for kissing students and blurring professional boundaries in ways any parent would recognize as dangerous — another case of the government school system failing to protect the children entrusted to it.
The Arkansas State Board of Education on Thursday suspended former Fouke School District Superintendent Jim Buie's license for three years after finding he violated ethics rules by kissing two male students and telling them he loved them. He also allowed a student to live with him, gave students over $1,000 in cash and vehicles, and paid for multiple student trips — including a cruise where he stayed in the same cabin as the students, according to the board's order.
This wasn't a momentary lapse. Buie served as Fouke's superintendent for nine years. The seven-member Fouke School Board voted unanimously not to renew his contract at the end of 2025, according to board member Sarah Berry. But the question remains: how long did this go on before anyone in the system acted?
The board's own order stated the obvious: "Educator should have known he violated the code of ethics. Educator engaged in physical affection that could be perceived as inappropriate or confusing by the student or others witnessing the behavior."
"Should have known" — but apparently didn't, or didn't care, until forced to account for it.
Beyond the boundary violations with students, the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee in 2025 authorized an audit of the district and school board members over $3,655 in travel reimbursements paid to Buie during the 2024 school year. Follow the money and the pattern looks even worse — public funds and personal entanglements with students, all under one roof.
As for accountability: a three-year license suspension, three years of probation after that, a $500 fine, and required coursework on ethics and professional relationships. Buie must also write an explanation of how he will apply ethics to his professional training. A man who kissed students and shared cruise cabins with them has to write an essay about why that's wrong.
Parents in Fouke handed their children over to a system run by a man who was kissing male students, giving them cash and cars, and taking them on cruises. The system's response? An essay assignment and a timeout.
The open question is what the audit will reveal — and whether anyone else in the district knew and looked the other way.
