Boudreaux submits resignation

Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet confirmed on Monday that Houma Chief of Police Patrick Boudreaux has voluntarily resigned from his position in the department.

According to Terrebonne Parish’s Public Safety Director Ralph Mitchell, the resignation was made effective on Friday.

The resignation’s announcement comes on the same day Claudet announced the settlement of seven lawsuits involving Boudreaux and four employees of the Houma Police Department.

“We are ready to put these lawsuits and employee issues behind us and move forward with a professional Police Department that meets the needs of the citizens it serves,” Claudet said in a news release. “I am committed to providing a professional workplace environment for all parish employees.”

Claudet announced interim Chief of Police Todd Duplantis will continue to hold the position in Boudreaux’s absence. The parish president also said he is going to submit Duplantis before the Terrebonne Parish Council in the coming weeks so he can be ratified as the new Chief of Police.

Mitchell said the Council was not able to get an ordinance to approve Duplantis in time for Monday’s regularly-scheduled council meeting, but they hope to do so for the next scheduled meeting, which will be held two weeks from today.

The resignation and settlement comes in lieu of seven sexual harassment filed against the Chief of Police in September 2008.

The case was originally scheduled to go before Federal court later this month before Monday’s settlement. A Houma newspaper reported the parish settled for $300,000.

However, Mitchell said terms of the settlement could not be disclosed and added that like Claudet, he is ready to put the lawsuits in the past.

“We’re looking to move forward with everything,” Mitchell said.