A request for information in Daniel Cockrell’s personnel file that was used as a basis for his termination turned up zero documents.

Cockrell, director of the Old State House Museum, was fired on Monday by staff in the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. The Arkansas Times filed a Freedom of Information Act request on Tuesday asking for “Any and all information upon which their terminations were based, such as complaints from other employees, supervisors or the public.” On Friday, Katie Fite, communications chief, sent a four-page document titled “Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism Notice of Warning or Disciplinary Action,” at the end of which the recommendation was made to terminate Cockrell’s employment. The two boxes checked under a section titled “Reason for action” were “Failure to Meet Performance Standards” and “Insubordination, Disruptive Behavior, Harassment.”

Cockrell’s file said he had been “counseled on two prior occasions regarding his behavior and interactions with others; however, the concerning conduct persists.” But Fite provided no documentation for the counseling sessions.

The Arkansas Times also asked for information regarding the firing of one of Cockrell’s top assistants, Georganne Sisco, director of education at the museum. The request was denied by the agency, with Fite writing, “Sisco does not meet the ‘compelling public interest’ element as set out” in a citation from the state Attorney General’s office.

Cockrell said he was forced to fire Sisco by his superiors about a month ago. He has declined to discuss the reason for her firing, and we have been unable to reach her to ask. Cockrell worked for the museum since 2005, serving as the director since 2022. 

The disciplinary document said Cockrell “displayed poor judgment in leadership,” referencing a “significant issue involving one of his employees, as well as broader operational challenges during a major event held at the Old State House Museum on Feb. 24. …” That event was apparently related to Sisco’s firing, after which, Cockrell did not relay her departure to staff, “which contributed to the confusion,” stated the document.

The document also stated that Cockrell had “submitted reports that do not meet expected standards. Several have been late, incomplete, or lacking sufficient detail and thoroughness.”

Again, if those have been a problem over some period of time, as the description would suggest, Cockrell’s termination was the first time the issue was documented.

Cockrell said Tuesday he disagreed with the documentation that had been put in his file.