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Jerome Puyau

Committee named to investigate Puyau

The investigation is now underway against Superintendent Jerome Puyau.
A three-person committee was named at the Thursday night school board meeting to investigate allegations against Puyau. School employees had until 5 p.m. on Friday to officially turn in their allegations to school board president Stacy Landry.
Investigating the allegations will be two school board members and one new school board attorney.
The board members on the committee are David Dupuis and Jean Broussard, the two newest school board members who are not being sued by the State Attorney General. Also, school board attorney Kathy Boudreaux who was hired by Puyau earlier in the month. She replaces Woody Woodruff, who retired.
Attorney Ed Abell will serve as a hearing officer if a grievance is filed.
“Mr. David Dupuis, Mr. Jean, and Kathy– they are going to look into the information, see what’s valid, make sure the people are willing to come forward with their complaint, and put everything together. A hearing officer has been selected; that’s per policy,” Board President Stacy Landry said.
No timetable was given as to how long the investigation will take place.
In the meantime, Puyau remains on paid leave, and assistant superintendent Paul Hebert is the acting superintendent.
In other school board business, the school board voted 4-4 to accept to end Attorney General Jeff Landry’s lawsuit against the School Board.
Voting to end the lawsuit were Sara Duplechain, Kibbie Pillette, Laura LeBeouf and Dupuis.
Voting against were Chris Gautreaux, Chris Hebert, Jean Broussard, and Landry.
Landry’s lawsuit states the school board violated the state’s Open Meetings Law when teacher Deyshia Hargrave was arrested and removed from a school board meeting.

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