A Tale Of Criminal Corruption And Cover Up At The Conway School District….Over $100,000.00 Worth
Aug 6, 2025
On July 14th I announced I was beginning an investigation into the alleged misuse of Taxpayer money at the District. While I’m still following up on some things, I can now report what I have found.
When deciding how to tell this story I originally planned to do it in a series. After a lot of thought, there is really only one way to tell it and that’s from the start to where we are today.
The Reporting Of Theft
Tami Marsh is a Conway home-grown girl who for decades has been heavily involved in the Community.
In mid-December 2024 a Conway School District employee confided in Tami details of theft and misuse of District money and resources by the then District Maintenance Director Bruce Harrell and Maintenance Mechanic Justin Turney.
We will refer to the individual who came to Tami as “The Whistleblower” because that’s exactly what that person is.
Under AR Code 6-21-602 (8), a Whistleblower is defined as – a person who witnesses or has evidence of a waste or violation while employed with a public employer and who communicates in good faith or testifies to the waste or violation, verbally or in writing, to one of the employee’s superiors, to an agent of the public employer, or to an appropriate authority, provided that the communication is made prior to any adverse action by the employer.
Tami says after receiving the allegations she took the information to a School Board member.
After not hearing back from that Board member, she took the information to another Board member who in turn provided the information to the School Superintendent Jeff Collum.
Collum asked to meet with Tami and on the morning of Friday January 17th, 2025, that meeting took place at Collum’s office.
As the meeting progressed, Collum called in then Deputy Superintendent Jason Black and Assistant Superintendent Andy Ashley. The Maintenance Department fell under Ashley.
They told Tami that they needed to meet with the Whistleblower immediately that day. That evening Black and Ashley met secretly with Tami, the Whistleblower.
Black requested that the Whistleblower put pen to paper listing specifics regarding the allegations which was then done over the weekend immediately following the meeting. On Monday morning January 20th, Tami hand delivered to the District Central Office receptionist an envelope marked to Collum’s attention containing a statement and details from the Whistleblower.
In the statement the Whistleblower quoted Turney as saying “We have got a budget and if we don’t spend it we loose it and that’s why I am out here building on my vehicle.”
The Whistleblower provided dates and specifics in which it was alleged Harrell and Turney made District purchases from OReilly’s Auto Parts, Crow-Burlingame Car Color Center, Diamond State Industrial, Keathley Patterson Electric and H&S Glass Company for their personal use along with using District labor for vehicle repairs including replacing Harrel’s grandson’s engine, body work and paint, building an entertainment center, kitchen remodel in Harrell’s home and a remodel of his sister’s house.
The Investigation
The District then contracted the McDaniel Wolff law firm in Litte Rock to conduct an internal investigation into the allegations led by partner Scott Richardson. Invoices show the firm charged the District $9,261.82 for the investigation.
According to invoices from the law firm –
On January 24th, McDaniel Wolff partner Scott Richardson met with District leaders and then began the investigation.
On January 30th Richardson brought in HCJ CPAs & Advisors to conduct an audit and analysis of the purchases led by Mark Glover. For their part HCJ charged the District $9,890.00.
District records show HCJ went through 683 pages of Checks, Remittance Slips and Purchase Orders from a host of Vendors.
In February, Richardson interviewed employees and met with District Administration multiple times and stayed in contact with HCJ.
On March 11th the School Board held a meeting and unbeknownst to the public, Richardson attended and went into Executive Session with the Board to give them an update on the Investigation.
Under AR Code 6-13-619 (e) (2) (b) the District’s attorney can enter into Executive Session with the Board; however, Richardson was not acting in capacity as the District’s attorney and therefore should not have been allowed in Executive Session.
I don’t think the Board had any ill intent….Just a misunderstanding of the law.
For the rest of March and April, Richardson continued meeting with District Administrators and HCJ while reviewing evidence.
Richardson Presents His Report Which Recommended The Termination Of Harrell & Turney
At the May 6th School Board meeting, again unbeknownst to the public, Richardson attended and entered into Executive Session and presented his report to the Board and Collum.
Multiple sources inside the District confirm Richardson informed the Board of misuse and misappropriations of approximately $88,000.00 of District funds which violated State laws and District Policies.
In the report Richardson cited Article 14 Section 2 of the Arkansas Constitution – No money or property belonging to the public school fund, or to this State, for the benefit of schools or universities, shall ever be used for any other than for the respective purposes to which it belongs.
He also cited District Finance Policy violations along AR Code 6-20-2208 Monitoring of Expenditures and AR Code 6-21-110 (b) It is hereby declared against public policy and prohibited for any public educational entity to give, donate, or transfer without adequate market value consideration any public property to administrators, board members, or employees of the public educational entity, or immediate family members of any of these individuals.
Where Richardson failed either by design, incompetence or both, was not informing the Board of the following –
AR Code 6-24-104 (a) (1) No board member, administrator, or employee shall use or attempt to use his or her official position to secure unwarranted privileges or exemptions for himself or herself or others.
Violation of 6-24-104 is a Felony.
AR Code 5-36-103 (a) (1) A person commits theft of property if he or she knowingly takes or exercises unauthorized control over or makes an unauthorized transfer of an interest in the property of another person with the purpose of depriving the owner of the property.
Violation of 5-36-103 is a Felony.
AR Code 5-52-107 (a) A person commits the offense of abuse of office if, being a public servant, or being a person elected, appointed, or otherwise designated to become a public servant although not yet occupying that position, and with the purpose of benefiting in a pecuniary fashion or obtaining a sexual favor for himself or herself or another person or of harming another person, the person knowingly commits an unauthorized act which purports to be an act of his or her office.
Violation of 5-52-107 is a Felony
On August 5th, District Chief Legal Officer Shasta Wagner confirmed to me, in an email, that Richardson’s report contained a written recommendation for the Termination of Harrell and Turney.
I used the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (AFOIA) to force the District to admit termination was recommended.
The law in the AFOIA states that if a record does not exist the custodian of the record must state that to the requester.
AR Code 25-19-105 (a) (3) (A) – If no records exist that are responsive to the request, the custodian shall respond that no records exist.
However, if the record requested exists but is exempt from disclosure the custodian must state that to the requester and provide the exemption.
AR Code 25-19-105 (a) (3) (B) If any responsive records that exist are subject to exemptions under this chapter or other law, the custodian shall respond and identify the applicable exemptions.
By stating the exemption Wagner confirmed the recommendation to terminate is in the final report.
While there was no formal vote, Multiple sources in the District confirm that the consensus of the Board was for Collum to issue Harrell and Turney notice of termination with Collum stating “What I’m hearing is the Board wants to move forward with termination.” The lone exception was member Sheila Franklin who did not want to terminate Harrell or Turney.
The meeting ended with Collum having his marching orders….That’s where things went South.
The Cover Up Begins
Harrel and Turney were both Classified Employees. Classified Personnel Policy 8.31 covers termination.
Basically, Collum was to provide written notice to Harrell and Turney that he was recommending termination for the Board to consider at the next regular meeting.
Both notices should have been drafted and given to Harrell and Turney the very next day Wednesday May 7th….That never happened and neither were ever issued.
According to Board member David Naylor, Collum reached out the Board members before the next regular meeting held on June 10th and informed them Harrel had retired and Turney had resigned.
What he did not tell them is that both were effective June 30th, the last contract day for yearly employees, and were not effective immediately.
Naylor said he was under the impression that they were no longer employees so they could not be terminated.
The reality was they were still employed until June 30th and could have still been terminated which is what the board wanted.
So, what happened ?….Did Collum and the rest of the top Administration just forget the Boards directive ?
On April 21st, after Richardson made his conclusions, he had a video conference with Collum, Black, Ashley and the other Assistant Superintendent Karen Lasker.
You can’t tell me that he was not presenting his final report to those four so all could be prepared for the presentation to the Board on May 6th….The reality is that they all knew about the recommendation for termination.
Here’s where it gets even more interesting.
According to Richardson’s Investigation invoice on Friday May 16th Richardson traveled to the District and attended a personnel meeting….Huh ?
I mean after he presented his final report to the Board at the May 6th meeting his job was done so why was he there attending the meeting on that Friday ?….It gets better.
The following Monday May 19th Harrell submitted his letter of retirement to Lasker effective June 30th and Turney submitted his letter of resignation to Lasker effective June 30th….Again June 30th was the last day of the yearly employee contracts.
Coincidence ???….Not buying it.
I believe that Collum had Richardson come to the meeting so that they could lay out everything and give them the opportunity to retire and resign so to avoid termination….Was Black, Ashley and Lasker in that meeting as well ?
Can I say my belief is fact ?….No not yet…Heavy on the yet though.
All District resignations and retirements were approved at the June 10th Board meeting and at that point Harrell and Turney walked away scot-free without having to pay any money back and I’m sure breathing a huge sigh of relief that they were able to keep their pensions and not face criminal investigation.
At this point the District had spent $19,151.82 for an investigation that determined policies and laws had been violated along with $88,000.00 of District funds being misused and misappropriated only to have Collum cover it up.
Could Collum do this alone ?….Absolutely not.
He needed help and it’s clear to me he got it form Richardson and administrative staff members.
The cover up was complete with Collum, Harrell, Turney thinking it was over….Until now.
But Why ?
In my mind the question remains as to why Collum ignored the directive from the Board and proceeded with the cover up ?
He knew he was on the way out so was it just a final F-You you to them ?….Or was it something else ?
There are widespread rumors that the Maintenance department had done personal work for Collum, Black and Lasker.
So far I have not been able to connect those dots but let’s say hypothetically that the dots were connected.
That would give Collum, Black and Lasker great incentive to get Harrell and Turney out of there without being terminated.
It would also give great incentive to instruct Richardson to not apply any of the criminal felony laws I mentioned earlier in Richardson Presents His Report Which Recommended The Termination Of Harrell & Turney.
Certainly, food for thought right ?
So What Now ?
Well, now that this has been uncovered the Board can do the right thing by passing a resolution at next Tuesday nights Board meeting to request a State Legislative Audit into the matter.
If the Legislative Audit Committee approves the audit to be done, no way that would not happen, then a Leg Audit team will converge on the District leaving no stone un-turned.
When done they would present their findings and recommendations to the Legislative Audit Committee.
Based on the findings the Committee could refer the matter to the Attorney General for his Public Integrity Division to conduct a criminal investigation and if warranted criminal prosecution.
That resolution is the right thing to do and I will be attending next weeks Board meeting and addressing the Board asking for that resolution.
Will they do it ?….I believe and have faith they will.
After all….there’s no reason not to do the right thing.
Professional Bully Fighter I investigate and report on issues around the State of Arkansas with an emphasis on Government. I am strong conservative however I bring Truth and Facts regardless of Party affiliation….My hashtag is #FactsNotFiction
I am glad someone is investigating the money abuse in Conway.
Glad you are going to the next Conway School Board meeting. Reading this, I remembered 2 previous articles about that school district, and sure looks to me like the is something very rotten there, and needs to be investigated further. Also that the lawyer hired, Richardson, and others on the school board as well as some in the administration, appear to be very crooked too. Seems to me the district needs a huge cleanse, with all terminated. Just glanced at your earlier articles to make sure I remembered correctly.
I live in East Arkansas, and we had had, and have more than our share of corruption over here. The Lee County district has been under the state for the past several years, and from what I have see about St. Francis in your reporting, Forrest City badly needs some oversight. One questionable association there is the supt. and state senator, Murdock. I wonder how deep that one goes??
IMO, will probably get no help from the legislature, as think they are corrupt too. With the termination of the DOE, and control of education going back to the states, it is imperative that this sort of corruption is stopped in its tracks. I look forward to your report from the next Conway School Board meeting, and thank you for this report.
“Will they do it ?….I believe and have faith they will.
After all….there’s no reason not to do the right thing.”
Except that they are good-ole-boy Republicans and that sort isn’t too big on ethics or “doing the right thing”.