A school board in Arkansas placed the superintendent on leave after her husband, a former teacher and registered sex offender, was arrested for violating his parole, according to local reports.
According to KARK 4, the Hot Springs School District placed Dr. Stephanie Nehus on administrative leave Friday in response to mounting public pressure for the superintendent to resign after her husband, Zachary Nehus, was arrested on Tuesday.
In 2016, a jury convicted Zachary Nehus, a former teacher in the state, of possessing sexually explicit images of children, according to court filings. He is currently being held in the Garland County Detention Center for allegedly violating his parole.
The school board decided to keep the superintendent in her position on Thursday.
Her husband was arrested in 2014 on more than two dozen charges of child pornography. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison and ten years on probation. He was granted parole in September 2022. His parole violation involves “evidence” found at his home relating to his original conviction during a routine police check.
However, after parents expressed outrage, the board reversed course, placing Nehus on leave and appointing Becky Rosburg, the assistant superintendent, as interim superintendent until the end of the school year. THV11 reported that Dr. Mike Hernandez will take over from then until June 2026.
Parents gathered outside the school board meeting, demanding that Nehus be removed. THV11 captured one parent holding a sign that read: “Integrity in schools starts at the top!”
According to the school district’s website, Nehus earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Henderson State University, as well as her doctorate in education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Before becoming superintendent, she worked as a math teacher, assistant principal, and principal in various state schools.
According to the website, she has been with the Hot Springs School District for 15 years and was named Arkansas Rural Education Association Superintendent of the Year in 2021-2022. Nehus and her husband have three kids together.
“This time, parents are finally feeling heard,” parent Sara Jeffers told KARK. “I definitely do feel like people are finally listening to us.”
However, the issue is not completely resolved, as some parents are still dissatisfied with the lack of transparency surrounding the terms of her leave.
“While I’m happy at the moment that some kind of action has been taken, there are so many more layers of corruption,” Mr. Jeffers said. “I still feel defeated, and I’m not going to not feel defeated until she is gone.”
“There were a lot of questions about whether it would be paid administrative leave or not,” Emilie Boyett, another parent, told THV11.
Following her appointment, Rosburg issued a statement to the Hot Springs community, which was obtained by the media.
“Our students, families, and staff deserve consistency during this period of transition, and I am committed to honoring the work that has already begun while ensuring our continued progress. I, with the assistance of the entire administrative team, will work tirelessly to reestablish your trust and support in our District,” she stated.
