Former Broken Arrow superintendent reaches deferred prosecution agreement
BY BILL BRAUN World Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
12/19/12 at 6:31 PM
Document: Read Sisney's deferred prosecution agreement.
Document: Read Windstream's deferred prosecution agreement.
The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office has dismissed bribery charges and entered a deferred prosecution agreement with former Broken Arrow Public Schools Superintendent Jim Sisney and Windstream Corp.
As part of the agreement, Sisney will not seek employment as a school administration in the state of Oklahoma and will pay $9,500 to the Broken Arrow school foundation.
The state will not file charges if Sisney completes the conditions of the one-year agreement.
Also as part of the agreement, Windstream will pay $100,000 to the Broken Arrow school foundation.
The payments by Sisney and Windstream to the foundation will not be eligible for tax deductions.
Sisney dismissed his civil lawsuit against the Broken Arrow school district this week.
In 2008, Broken Arrow Public Schools was rocked by accusations of wrongdoing and improper bidding practices that led to the firing of Sisney, who had been the superintendent for five years.
In September, an Oklahoma multicounty grand jury indictment alleges that Windstream employees provided 2007 NCAA Final Four basketball tickets and gratuities to Sisney "in appreciation of the ongoing business done between it and the Broken Arrow School District as a customer" and that Sisney accepted the gift without the school board's knowledge and in direct violation of the district's policy against school employees' accepting gifts from its vendors and service providers.
The tickets came with the promise of other gratuities paid for by Windstream, including lodging at the Atlanta Grand Hyatt Hotel, food and beverages, souvenirs, transportation and other entertainment, according to the indictment.
Windstream is the franchised provider for high-speed Internet, telephone and digital cable television in Broken Arrow.
Associated Images:
Jim Sisney (center), former Broken Arrow Public Schools superintendent, leaves court in August after being indicted on bribery counts. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World file
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