A school board in Arkansas put the superintendent on leave after her husband, a former teacher and registered sex offender, was arrested for violating his parole, according to local reports.
The Hot Springs School District placed Dr. Stephanie Nehus on administrative leave Friday after mounting public calls for the superintendent to resign after her husband, Zachary Nehus, was arrested on Tuesday, KARK 4 reported.
A jury convicted Zachary Nehus, a former teacher in the state, in 2016 for possession of sexually explicit images of children, court filings show. Now, he’s being held in Garland County Detention Center for allegedly violating his parole.
The school board had opted to keep the superintendent in her post on Thursday.
Her husband was arrested in 2014 on more than two dozen counts of child pornography. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 10 years of probation. He was paroled in September 2022. His parole violation involves “evidence” that was found at his home relating to his original conviction during a routine check by police.
But the board reversed course after parents expressed outrage, placing Nehus on leave and naming Becky Rosburg, the assistant superintendent, as interim superintendent until the end of the school year. Dr. Mike Hernandez will take over from then until June 2026, THV11 reported.
Parents stood outside the school board’s meeting calling for Nehus to be removed. One parent, captured by THV11, held up a sign that read: “Integrity in schools starts at the top!”
According to the school district's website, Nehus obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Henderson State University and her Doctor of Education degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Before becoming superintendent, she worked as a math teacher, assistant principal, and principal at schools in the state.
The website says she has been with the Hot Springs School District for 15 years and was named the Arkansas Rural Education Association Superintendent of the Year for 2021-2022. Nehus and her husband have three children together.
“This time, parents are finally feeling heard,” Sara Jeffers, a parent, told KARK. “I definitely do feel like people are finally listening to us.”
However, the issue isn’t totally resolved, as some parents are still frustrated by the lack of transparency regarding 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,” Jeffers added. “I still feel defeated, and I’m not going to not feel defeated until she is gone.”
“There was a lot of questions as far as if it's going to be a paid administrative leave or it's not,” Emilie Boyett, another parent, told THV11.
After her appointment, Rosburg sent out a statement, obtained by the outlets, to the Hot Springs community.
“Our students, families, and staff deserve consistency during this time of transition, and I am committed to honoring the work already underway while ensuring our continued progress. I, with the help of the entire administrative team, will work diligently to renew your trust and support in our District,” she said.
