Louisiana

St. Tammany library board members sue over removal • Louisiana Illuminator

Published

7 months ago

May 20, 2024

St. Tammany library board members sue over removal • Louisiana Illuminator

Three St. Tammany library board members removed after a years-long fight over book content are suing the parish council and one of its district representatives in an attempt to block their removal.

Their federal lawsuit comes after the parish council voted earlier this month to replace five of the six members of the St. Tammany Library Board of Control, a volunteer body that oversees the parish library system. Their removal culminated months of contentious fights.

Conservative activists in the parish, led by the far-right St. Tammany Library Accountability Project, attempted to ban more than 150 books it deemed sexually explicit. Most of the titles challenged have LGBTQ+ themes. The library board repeatedly refused to limit access to the books, rejecting arguments that the books were sexually explicit. Their refusal put them crosswise with the new, more conservative parish council that took office earlier this year.

The three board members — Bill McHugh, Anthony Parr and Rebecca Taylor — are suing the St. Tammany Parish Council and Councilman David Cougle, a founder and attorney for the Accountability Project who led the charge to remove the members. The plaintiffs have asked the court for a temporary restraining order on their removal, which would allow them to stay in their positions while the lawsuit plays out.

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In a statement, the plaintiffs emphasized the lawsuit was undertaken by them as individuals, not as an official action by the library board. They also noted Kelly LaRocca, the parish’s library director, is not involved in the suit.

Cougle has not yet responded to a request for comment for this report.

On May 4, the parish council voted to replace five board members, ostensibly because the council had discovered the board was not serving in staggered terms, as required by state law. But rather than staggering the current board members, the council used the opportunity to remove board members that resisted book restrictions.

That violated the First Amendment rights of the ousted board members, the plaintiffs charge.

“Plaintiffs were engaged in constitutionally protected activity when they spoke and acted at Library Bord [sic] meetings, as well as when they spoke out on matters of public concern such as the controversy over books with LGBTQ themes and characters, the presence or absence of sexually explicit material in libraries, whether or not certain materials available in libraries is ‘pornography’ or constitutes ‘obscenity,’ and whether and how minors have access to such materials,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit alleges the concern over staggered terms was an “obvious ploy” used to retaliate against their protected speech and their refusal to restrict access to books.

“Supreme Court precedent has focused “not only on the role of the First Amendment in fostering individual self-expression but also on its role in affording the public access to discussion, debate, and the dissemination of information and ideas,” the lawsuit says. “And it has recognized that ‘the State may not, consistently with the spirit of the First Amendment, contract the spectrum of available knowledge.’”

The suit has been filed in federal court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. If the court opts to grant a temporary restraining order, the existing library board would be allowed to continue serving pending the outcome of the lawsuit, which seeks to permanently block the council’s resolution to remove members.

“Preventing the Parish Council from engaging in unlawful patronage dismissal will preserve the integrity and independence of the Library Board, rather than leaving it subject to the political whims of the Parish Council,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit also says allowing the members to continue serving would continue to protect the public’s constitutional rights to receive information by maintaining their access to library books.

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Louisiana

Army Black Knights, Louisiana Tech Offensive Stars To Watch in Independence Bowl

Published

6 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Army Black Knights, Louisiana Tech Offensive Stars To Watch in Independence Bowl

The Independence Bowl will be a game of offensive contrasts as the Army West Point Black Knights face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Saturday at Independence Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 9:15 p.m. eastern on ESPN.

Army (11-2) enters the game using its run-based attack based on option, deception and power football. If the Black Knights don’t have 34 or 35 minutes of time of possession by game’s end, then they haven’t done their job. Army can create big plays, but the Black Knights would rather grind its opponents down to submission.

Louisiana Tech (5-7) runs a pass-based, Air Raid offense that coach Sonny Cumbie learned from one of his coaches and mentors, the legendary Mike Leach. The former Texas Tech quarterback doesn’t have the talent he needs to make it as effective as the Red Raiders’ glory days offensively. But, he’s found a quarterback that could help get him there in the coming years — if the Bulldogs can hang onto him.

This is the transfer portal era after all.

Here are three offensive players to watch for each team going into Saturday’s contest.

QB Bryson Daily

Daily was the American Athletic Conference offensive player of the year and was sixth in Heisman Trophy voting. He is the focal point of this offense. He’s rushed for 1,532 yards and 29 touchdowns (tied for most in FBS) and has thrown for another 942 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. If LA Tech wants to win, it has to slow him down. Look at the Navy tape for a template.

RB Noah Short

With Kanye Udoh’s transfer to Arizona State, the bulk of the complementary backfield work may fall to short, who was the Black Knights’ third-leading rusher this season. He rushed for 542 yards and two touchdowns but gained more yards per carry (7.7) than Udoh (6.2).

This is Daily’s swan song so he’ll get plenty of work. But Short needs to be a solid complement. He’s also one of Army’s top passing targets with 17 catches for 318 yards and three touchdowns.

WR Casey Reynolds

Reynolds leads the Black Knights with 19 receptions for 444 yards and three touchdowns. When Daily looks for a big play down the field, count on Reynolds to be the receiver he’s looking for. It’s been that way all season.

QB Evan Bullock

He finally emerged with the starting job in late September and the freshman ended up with 1,938 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions as he completed 67% of his passes. That’s a solid start in an offense that requires quick passing and high accuracy. Bullock has both, but he’s also been sacked 31 times.

RB Omiri Wiggins

The running game can be afterthought in an Air Raid offense. But Wiggins is coming off a huge game in LA Tech’s finale, as he rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns and three interceptions against Kennesaw State. That was more than a quarter of his output this season (487 yards, four touchdowns).

WR Tru Edwards

The senior is from Shreveport, La., so this is like coming home. And he’s had a huge year for the Bulldogs. Edwards is their leading receiver by a significant margin, with 77 receptions for 897 yards and six touchdowns. He’s caught 25 passes in his last three games but hasn’t found the end zone.

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Louisiana

Letters: State should invest in training mental health providers

Published

15 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Letters: State should invest in training mental health providers

Most of Louisiana is classified as a mental health professional shortage area, leaving countless families — especially children —without access to critical mental health services. According to the National Survey of Children’s Health, over half of children in Louisiana who experience mental health challenges do not receive the care they need. This is a staggering number given that this study estimates that 30.3% of children ages 3-17 have at least one emotional, developmental or behavioral health disorder. This unmet need has far-reaching consequences, affecting school performance, family stability and community safety.

Addressing this gap starts with investing in higher education programs that train the mental health professionals our state desperately needs. Universities such as the University of Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Louisiana Tech University, Grambling State University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, McNeese State University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, University of New Orleans, University of Holy Cross, Tulane University, Nicholls State University, LSU and others play a vital role in preparing skilled counselors, psychologists and social workers.

However, the current capacity of mental health training programs is not sufficient to meet the growing demand. We are facing another potential budget shortfall in Louisiana that could impact higher education. Without adequate funding and resources, these programs may struggle to equip students with the expertise and experience required to enter the workforce.

Investing in these programs is not just about addressing today’s challenges — it is about safeguarding the future of Louisiana. By increasing the number of trained mental health professionals, we can improve outcomes for children and families, reduce the strain on emergency services and foster healthier, more resilient communities.

It is time to prioritize the mental health of our state by supporting higher education programs that make a difference. Together, we can build a brighter, healthier future.

MATTHEW THORNTON

chief executive officer, Center for Children and Families, Inc.

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Louisiana

Stabbing death reported at Louisiana prison

Published

23 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

Stabbing death reported at Louisiana prison

(KTAL/KMSS) – A dispute that resulted in an inmate’s death is under investigation at a Louisiana state prison, according to the Department of Corrections.

DOC Director of Communications Ken Pastorick said the incident happened at Southern Correctional Center in Tallulah, Louisiana, and caused the death of Teldric Boyd, 31.

A new release said that around 3:25 a.m. on Monday, Boyd was allegedly stabbed in the neck with a shank by fellow inmate Austin Dean, 33. Correctional center staff is said to have immediately responded and rendered first aid, and then Boyd was brought to a local hospital, where he died at 5 a.m.

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Madison Parish Sheriff’s detectives booked Dean, who they say admitted to stabbing Boyd after an argument the two men had Sunday night.

Boyd was serving a 14-year sentence for various convictions, including racketeering, aggravated battery, two counts of a felon in possession of a firearm, and drug offenses in Rapides Parish.

Dean was serving a 25-year sentence for manslaughter in Rapides Parish and a five-year sentence for aggravated assault on a peace officer; those sentences are to run consecutively.

The investigation is ongoing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com.

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