Vermilion Parish School Board gives Superintendent Jerome Puyau his 90-day notice

It looks like Vermilion Parish School Superintendent Jerome Puyau has 90 days left as the superintendent of the school system.
During Thursday’s special meeting, the Vermilion Parish School Board voted to begin the process of terminating Puyau.
The vote was 5-3 to give him a 90-day notice to end his employment as the superintendent of Vermilion Parish.
Voting for Puyau’s termination were Laura LeBeouf, Kibbie Pillette, Dale Stelly, Charlotte Detraz and Dr. David Dupuis.
Voting against his termination were Chris Gautreaux, Kristie Hebert and Jason Roy.
Puyau’s final day, according to a resolution read by school board attorney Bob Hammonds, will be March 20, 2020.
Hammonds read, “the board wants to begin the process of selecting a new superintendent” and “[end] their relationship with Puyau.”
Lane Roy, Puyau’s attorney, was on hand Thursday. “Certain school board members don’t want this superintendent. In my judgment, it is a termination.”
Roy said he will meet with Puyau soon to see what action he would like to take next. Roy may advise him to sue the school board.
Thus far, the school board has spent just over $80,000 investigating Puyau.
“They have spent close to $100,000 of taxpayers’ money investigating him.,” Roy added.
Gerald Gaspard, a retired veteran, addressed the school board during the public comment period. He was searching for answers as to why the school board wanted to terminate a superintendent who helped Vermilion reach No. 2 in the state. No school board member gave him an answer.
He closed by saying the board was “too coward” to answer.
In superintendent commentary, Puyau addressed the audience by saying if March 20 is his final day on the job, “I won’t be crying. When that last bell rings, I will be celebrating our success. What Vermilion has done is remarkable. A group of people have united and believed that we could do it. We have done it and will continue to do it.
“No one can stop me from being superintendent until that last bell rings.”