The Arkansas State Board of Education has suspended former Fouke School District Superintendent Jim Buie’s license for three years, citing ethics violations involving personal relationships with students.
Buie served as Fouke superintendent for nine years. Fouke School Board member Sarah Berry said the seven-member board voted unanimously not to renew Buie’s contract at the end of 2025.
In the order issued Thursday, the state board found that Buie violated ethics rules by kissing two male students and telling them he loved them, and by allowing a student to live with him. Buie also used personal funds to give students gifts, including over $1,000 and vehicles, and paid for multiple trips for students, including a cruise during which he stayed in the same cabin as the students, according to the order.
“Educator should have known he violated the code of ethics,” the order states. “Educator engaged in physical affection that could be perceived as inappropriate or confusing by the student or others witnessing the behavior.”
Buie will serve three years of probation after completing the three-year suspension, according to the report. The board also fined Buie $500 and will require him to complete coursework and readings on ethics and professional relationships and to create a written explanation of how he will apply each to his professional training.
In 2025, the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee authorized an audit of the district and School Board members over $3,655 in travel reimbursements paid to Buie during the 2024 school year.