Complaint made against candidate for Terrebonne School Board

An Ellender Memorial High School teacher has been transferred to a different school following a complaint by a student’s mother.

Michael Lagarde, a veteran instructor at Ellender, confirms that he was the subject of a complaint alleging “inappropriate communication.” Lagarde is running against long-time District 1 school board member Roosevelt Thomas. The complaint did not involve physical touching, nor was conduct of a sexual nature alleged. He has been transferred to the Terrebonne School District’s East Street School.

Superintendent of Schools Philip Martin said he could not comment on the situation because it is a personnel matter.

Lagarde, when asked about the complaint, complimented the mother who complained against him and explained how the incident raises an issue related to his quest for the Thomas’ school board seat.

“I admire her bravery and wanting to protect her child, parents should be involved in curriculum and content of books, not just sports and extracurriculars,” Lagarde said of the student’s mother. “This incident has made me more determined than ever to run for District 1 seat on the school board. If this parent had more trust this could ha been easily resolved. She could have come directly to me.”

According to the child’s mother, who asked that she not be identified by name, problems began on the first day of classes. Her daughter, a freshman at Ellender, was enrolled in Lagarde’s introductory law course. As is customary for new members of the school’s dance team, she said, her daughter wore her uniform on the first day of school, as did other girls on the team.

“He asked to ‘get up and show us something,’ to do a little dance in a classroom of children that she doesn’t really know, and she doesn’t really know this teacher,” the mother said. “I was livid … It just really disturbed me that this older gentleman, who is a teacher, who I am supposed to be comfortable sending my kids to, is making these requests.”

The mother, a Houma professional, said she wanted to complain to school officials after learning of the encounter but that her daughter begged her not to.

Lagarde said the request was one of many “ice-breaker” conversations on the first day of classes. Other students in the class were said to have spoken of their hobbies. One, a rapper, gave the class a taste of his skills. The “getting-to-know-you” was not part of a class assignment.

The next time the class met Lagarde followed a lesson plan from an approved textbook, MacMillan’s “Street Law.” The topic was the death of Kitty Genovese, a woman who was raped and murdered in Kew Gardens, New York as witnesses looked on and did nothing. It was based on a lesson in the book concerning “empathetic witnesses.”

The mother was told by her daughter that Lagarde asked students what they would do if a boy from the class walked out to the hallway and was jumped. After some discussion, the mother said, Lagarde allegedly asked if a girl from the class were to walk outside the classroom and got raped, what would the students do.

“The examples he used were highly inappropriate for me,” the mother said. “So, I went to school and said you have to pull her out of this class. These are forms of sexual harassment. I told them I didn’t think necessarily want him fired. But I think my daughter was owed an apology and that they should pull her out of the class. Does he not know that little boys can get raped and little girls can get jumped?”

No sanction was known to have been imposed on Lagarde other than the transfer, to which he had no great objection.

This was not the first time Lagarde has been involved in controversy. Last year his son, an Ellender senior and football player, chose to join NFL athletes protesting police shootings and brutality by kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem during several football games.

Lagarde supported his son and gave thanks to students and parents who supported him as well.

He has maintained in conversations with supporters that he is suspicious of the current issue and has questioned whether it could be related to his campaign against Thomas.

Lagarde is not, at this time, appealing the complaint or the arrangement.

Mike Lagarde