BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Seminole County School Board voted 4-1 Tuesday night to approve a contract to make Serita Beamon the new superintendent for the district.

The decision came after a Brevard County Circuit Court judge ruled earlier in the day that the school board could move forward with its choice for superintendent of schools.

Before Tuesday night's vote, SCPS Vice Chairman Amy Pennock made a motion to halt the process of hiring a superintendent and to start an investigation into the process that was used. That motion failed, and when the voting resumed, Pennock was the lone "no" vote. 

A lawsuit had been filed seeking a temporary injunction to stop the school board from signing the contract, but a judge rejected that request earlier Tuesday.

The lawsuit claimed the Seminole County School Board did not follow its own policies when making its choice for superintendent.   

In a 3-2 vote last month, the Seminole County School Board picked Chad Farnsworth for the superintendent of schools. 

Two weeks later, the board reversed course and rescinded the job offer made to Farnsworth.

He began his teaching career in 2004, then moved up to assistant principal in 2010, and became the superintendent of Bradford County in 2012.

In a 3-2 vote earlier this month, the school board chose Beamon. She was the other candidate and the school district’s lawyer for many years. However, she has no teaching or educational background.

A Seminole County Schools parent sued the district following that decision, arguing the board did not follow its own policies when it decided to rescind the Farnsworth vote. 

On Monday, the Brevard County circuit court judge heard testimony.