The Arkansas State Board of Education on Thursday, July 9, 2026 suspended the educator license of former Fouke School District Superintendent James “Jim” Buie for three years after finding he kissed two male students, allowed a student to live in his home and spent more than $1,000 of his own money on gifts for students, including vehicles.
The board’s order, issued July 9 in Professional Licensure Standards Board Case No. 25-222, found Buie violated Standards 1 and 2 of the Code of Ethics for Arkansas Educators. The suspension will be followed by three years of probation, a $500 fine due within 90 days and required ethics coursework.
According to the board’s findings of fact, Buie kissed two different male students while saying “I love you,” allowed a student to live with him at his residence and used personal funds to give gifts to multiple students totaling more than $1,000, plus vehicles. The board also found Buie took and paid for multiple students’ trips to multiple locations, including a cruise on which he stayed in the same cabin as the students, and shared his personal contact information and Life360 location tracking with multiple students…