Once again (as if the first go-round wasn't enough), the Lafayette Parish School Board appears poised to resurrect last year's so-called "witch hunt" of Superintendent Pat Cooper.
Once again (as if the first go-round wasn't enough), the Lafayette Parish School Board appears poised to resurrect last year's so-called "witch hunt" of Superintendent Pat Cooper.
LPSB's Greg Awbrey
In its attempt to investigate Cooper last year, the board wanted to hire an outside law firm, which would first require approval by the Attorney General's office. The problem with the board's attempt was that it never stipulated, as required by state law, a detailed list of reasons for its investigation or how much it would cost. The issue was thought to have been put to rest with a Sept. 30 letter from the board's legal counsel, Assistant District Attorney Roger Hamilton, informing the AG's office that the board's investigation was unwarranted since it failed to meet any of the guidelines required by law. Hamilton's letter prompted quick retaliation from the board when it voted late last year to cut ties with the DA's office, which for years has served as the board's legal counsel free-of-charge.
Board member Greg Awbrey - who led the push to remove the DA's office - is now taking the issue a step further, as seen with his request during Wednesday's meeting for a copy of Hamilton's Sept. 30 letter - which he claims to have never seen, despite its release to the media by Cooper in October.
Awbrey's resolution passed in a 6-3 vote with board members Shelton Cobb, Kermit Bouillion and Mark Cockerham voting against the measure.
On its face, the resolution appears to simply be a request for Hamilton's correspondence with the AG's office, yet Awbrey's comments during the meeting tell another story, and reveal a renewed interest among the board's anti-Cooper faction to resurrect the investigation of the super.
"I understand there's a letter that this board has never seen sitting on the AG's office holding up an action that we've requested," said Awbrey.