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August 8, 2018Concerted effort must be made in rec cases
August 8, 2018
The Lafourche Parish Council will consider reinstating Community Action Director Freddia Ruffin-Roberson at their regular meeting on Aug 14, one month after Parish President Jimmy Cantrelle fired her on July 9.
Parish Councilman Jerry Jones is accusing the parish administration of working behind the scenes with others, to set up Ruffin-Roberson to be fired.
Also, Jones is still waiting on an opinion from the Attorney General’s Office as to whether the administration or the council governs the community action office.
“This is the most racist administration I have ever seen, in all my years on the council,” Jones said, at the conclusion of a presentation he made to the council, late last month.
Jones alleges that Cantrelle fired Ruffin-Roberson because allegedly, she forged five hours on a time card for one of the employees in her office, that totaled $87.30.
He presented packets of information to Councilmen James Bourgeois, Daniel Lorraine, Armand Autin, Aaron “Bo” Melvin, and Chairman Luci Sposito, which he said contains evidence that someone within the parish administration other than Ruffin-Roberson, called for those hours to be changed, in order to reflect vacation pay.
Also at the meeting, Community Action Board President Richmond Boyd pleaded with the council to wait before they appoint a new director.
He read a letter from Lafourche District Attorney Christine Russell, where Russell wrote that she asked interim Parish Administrator Tommy Lasseigne to wait for the attorney general opinion, before they disciplined any community action employee, to make sure the administration was in their legal right to do so.
“Either way it goes from the attorney general, we are going to rock and roll with it. I am praying that you wait,” Boyd said.
“But let me say that this council could be held liable for Mr. Cantrelle’s firing of this girl’s firing, and I don’t think that’s right, especially based on Mrs. Russell’s opinion,” he said.
Council Chairman Luci Sposito asked Cantrelle whether he would be good with either decision that they attorney general would render.
He answered no.
Seeming that she wasn’t surprised at his answer, Sposito said that at times regarding other situations, the administration referred to district attorney opinions as toilet paper.
Boyd then fired back.
“Well if the attorney general opinion doesn’t matter, I guess our by-laws don’t either. Are we going back to a monarch period of time?” Boyd asked.
“Mr. Cantrelle reached back to old home rule charter laws to say he was in his legal rights to fire this girl, yet he even wrote us letters when we changed our bylaws, accepting our board as the legal authority over the community action office.”
Jones answered, “Rev- it’s like I told you, this was a set-up for a shake up.”
Paul Chiquet, another member of the Lafourche Community Action Board addressed the council, saying, “This back and forth could be a drastic thing to our community because our citizens will miss badly needed services. I have been on this board for 50 years, and we have come a long way.
Boyd also said Cantrelle not wanting to adhere to the opinion is just going to make things worse.
“More money will be sent to neighboring parishes to service us, and I’m already sick of that,” he said.
Councilman Daniel Lorraine pointed out an example, commenting that St. Mary Parish is in charge of the Lafourche Parish weatherization program.
Cantrelle spoke little during last month’s meeting, but said he is finished discussing the scenario, and will not comment any further.
“I refuse to repeat myself anymore. Mr. Jones can ask till the cows come home. He needs to butt out,” Cantrelle said.
“What is this whole thing really about?” Jones asked.
“I’ll tell you. To stop minorities from getting ahead. This the most racist parish administration I have every worked with, since I’ve been on this council,” he said.
