RISON - A lawsuit against the Cleveland County School District and the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) was filed in Cleveland County Circuit Court last Thursday claiming that Superintendent Davy King refused to sign a form allowing a former Rison High School student who transferred to Woodlawn High School to participate in athletics for the upcoming school year.According to the lawsuit, King claimed the student was recruited to Woodlawn for athletics, and he therefore refused to sign the form. King was out of the office Tuesday but wrote in a text exchange with the Herald that he has yet to be contacted about the lawsuit. He said his only knowledge about it is what he saw on social media, noting that "most statements are totally false." Steven Saeler, the student's father, and the student, a minor, are listed as plaintiffs in the case. They are represented by Clint Todd, an attorney based in Star City.The defendants are the AAA, the Cleveland County School District, Superintendent Davy King and Rison High School Athletic Director Chris Vereen.Circuit Judge Spencer Singleton will be presiding over the case.The lawsuit contends that once Cleveland County School District/Rison High School officials learned about the student's decision to transfer, he was removed from the Rison High School baseball team. The suit claims the defendants were in direct violation of Arkansas Act 768 and equal protection under the Arkansas Con-stitution. In addition, the lawsuit also claims "intentional infliction of emotional distress." The plaintiffs are seeking punitive damages and attorneys' fees.Much of the lawsuit revolves around the eligibility of students to participate in extracurricular activities like sports when they transfer to a new school or nonresident school district under the School Choice Act.Prior to the implementation of Act 768 on July 30, 2023, the AAA had a policy that a student who transfers to a nonresident district...
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