Former Iberia Parish President Will Langlinais, who resigned from office in July 2007 pleading guilty to malfeasance in office, is seeking accrued vacation pay accumulated over his 14 year tenure. Langlinais’ attorney, Wade Trahan, sent a letter to the Iberia Parish District Attorney’s office last week, requesting vacation pay. The Iberia Parish Council directed assistant district attorney Eric Duplantis to look into the matter. Duplantis calculates the parish could be exposed to up to $20,000.
According to the parish’s Home Rule Charter, the Parish President is entitled to accrued vacation and sick leave. Aside from the eight month hiatus since Langlinais left office before applying for sick leave, there is a black hole when it comes to records. Duplantis says that during Langlinais’ time in office he never notified anyone where he was - and whether he was on parish business or his own time. Iberia Parish employee vacation and sick leave policy states: “Leave records must be maintained for employees eligible to accrue vacation leave.”
Iberia Parish Human Resources Director Donna McDonald says that she has no way to calculate how much vacation pay Langlinais might be entitled to because she has no paperwork. “I do not know how much vacation time he took, because there’s no documentation,” she says. “Everybody has to follow procedures,” says Duplantis. “Under the parish’s policy he had a duty to notify when he was out on vacation. We’re treating Will like any other employee. He has to document what he is entitled to.”
Langlinais currently receives state retirement and health insurance.