LITTLE ROCK -- The game clock ran out on the Houston Nutt-Mitch Mustain saga Thursday when the state Supreme Court rejected a petition to reinstate a lawsuit accusing the University of Arkansas and a former chancellor of improperly investigating a fan's profanity-laced e-mail to the former UA quarterback.

In a unanimous decision, the state's highest court said the issue was moot because John White, accused in the lawsuit of mishandling the investigation as chancellor of the Fayetteville campus, stepped down from the position in June and is now teaching.

"Thus, he can no longer take any action with respect to the e-mail matter, nor is he any longer receiving a salary from the university for serving in the capacity of chancellor," the court said.

Two other key players in the lawsuit also are no longer with the university. Mustain transferred to Southern California and forme football coach Houston Nutt resigned to become the head coach at the University of Mississippi.

"We are very pleased with the outcome and we're looking forward to the future," UA attorney Scott Varaday said Thursday after the decision.

The nearly two-year saga, which has been discussed on numerous sport-talk radio shows and Internet message boards, and written about by several national publications, began in December 2006 when Teresa Prewett, a friend of Nutt, sent a profanity-laced e-mail to Mustain, criticizing him and urging him to leave the football program.

The player's mother, Beck Campbell, later complained to White, who said he would investigate. On Jan. 8, 2007, Prewett sent Mustain a letter of apology and on Jan. 12, Nutt wrote a letter of reprimand to Prewitt. Prewett also was barred from being on the sidelines during games.

Mustain requested a release from his scholarship on Jan. 16.

UA graduate John David Terry of Mount Ida later filed the lawsuit asking that White be ordered to conduct a complete investigation. He said he had standing to bring the lawsuit because he was a taxpayer who was responsible for paying White's salary. He asked that White not be paid until a full investigation was conducted.

Washington County Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay dismissed the lawsuit in August 2006, saying it was none of the court's business. The judge said allowing the lawsuit to continue would do nothing but attract every disgruntled fan to second-guess every coach. He awarded $1,000 to the university in legal fees.

Also Thursday, justices upheld a contempt of court order Lindsay issued against Terry's attorney, Eddie Christian Jr.

The attorney was cited for contempt after disobeying an order barring all discovery in the case.

Lindsay said in his ruling that Christian violated a June 2007 order when he issued a subpoena to the director of the state Department of Finance and Administration, where Sherri Darby, who shared a residence with Prewett, worked.

The subpoena ordered DF&A to produce all e-mail received or sent from Darby's e-mail address that referred to the UA football program.

Christian obtained a CD containing more than 800 e-mail received by Darby or sent from her e-mail address referring to the program.

UA attorneys and attorneys for subpoenaed witnesses were unaware of the subpoenas until the information was reported publicly, the court said in Thursday's ruling.

The high court rejected Christian's argument that Lindsay's order was unclear.