Court rebuffs Western Heights
State high court’s denial not end to legal battle
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has declined to hear Western Heights Public Schools’ case against a state takeover, but the legal battle is far from over.
All justices concurred when denying the southeast Oklahoma City school district’s request for the court to take on its case, according to online court records posted Monday.
The original lawsuit the district filed against the Oklahoma State Department of Education is still pending in Oklahoma County District Court. Western Heights sued the department to challenge its involvement in district operations and to fight the suspension of the district’s superintendent, Mannix Barnes.
The Oklahoma State Board of Education formally took control of Western Heights on July 12. The state board decided it will have the final say on all votes the district’s school board takes for the entire school year.
The state Education Department appointed an interim superintendent for Western Heights after Barnes’ certification was suspended in June.
The sweeping move followed two years of dysfunction and an exodus of students and employees after Barnes became superintendent in 2019. Community members and staff complained of financial mismanagement and retaliatory behavior by district leadership.
District Judge Aletia Haynes Timmons ruled Aug. 12 that Western Heights must accept the state takeover. Although another court date hasn’t been set, Timmons could hear arguments in the case again before the
lawsuit is resolved.
District court proceedings have been on hold since Aug. 13, the day Western Heights asked the state Supreme Court to assume jurisdiction over the case.
The lawsuit could come before the state Supreme Court again. Once the district court reaches a final decision, one of the parties could appeal the case.
The court has already declined to put an emergency stay on Timmons’ Aug. 12 ruling. Western Heights had requested justices temporarily pause the enforcement of her ruling while they considered whether to take on the case.
A Supreme Court referee heard arguments from both sides on Sept. 14 before justices ultimately decided not to accept the case.
Western Heights attorney Jerry Colclazier argued the state doesn’t have the “all-powerful right” to take control of a school district and overshadow decisions by locally elected officials.
State schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said district leaders are “draining critical resources intended for their own students” by dragging on with the lawsuit.
“While we appreciate the court’s decision, as long as the current Western Heights board president and a few others remain in place, we will continue to see soaring litigation costs in these frivolous proceedings,” Hofmeister said in a statement. “Enough is enough.”