Louisiana
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.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
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.
Watch CBS News
The Louisiana Supreme Court on Friday issued a stay of proceedings and recalled a pending arrest warrant against Attorney General (AG) Liz Murrill.
The 5-2 per curiam decision pointed out “disturbing defects” in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court’s procedure, namely the (1) failure to follow the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure and administer a grand jury in the public eye by reportedly arresting and removing reporters from the proceedings and (2) the impropriety of special prosecutor Laurie White’s involvement. Laurie White is the former attorney of an interested party against AG Murrill and is currently being represented by the AG’s office as a defendant in a separate sexual harassment suit.
One of the review standards for the court’s decision was whether AG Murrill, in her previous Emergency Motion to stay, made a strong showing that she was likely to succeed. The court found that there was “considerable support” for a positive view of AG Murrill’s chances.
Dissenting Justices C.J. Weimer and J. Guidry argued that the unevaluated allegations by AG Murrill should have precluded the court from intervening and implied that AG Murrill’s title was garnering special treatment. Justice J. Guidry made special note that AG Murrill’s predicament was no different than that of any other accused individual, and that the majority’s action “tilted” the “scales of justice” in her favor.
AG Murrill was indicted on Thursday on 16 felony counts of malfeasance and intimidation for eight letters that she sent to Orleans Parish leaders. The letters were sent on May 13 in response to the Orleans Parish leaders’ and AG Murrill’s diverging interpretations of Act 15, passed by Governor Jeff Landry. The act provides for one elected clerk of the parish of Orleans, effectively consolidating the civil and criminal clerk positions. With the understanding that Act 15 created a new position for the single clerk of Orleans Parish, the mayor encouraged the New Orleans City Council to appoint an interim clerk, Calvin Duncan, and begin a process for a special election. AG Murrill’s letters condemned this action and asserted that Act 15 abolished the criminal clerk’s office, making the previously elected civil clerk, Chelsea Richard Napoleon, the single Orleans Parish clerk. AG Murrill advised the leaders that the actions violated Louisiana’s usurper statutes and would be met with litigation and potential fines or imprisonment.
This threat of litigation was deemed an act of malfeasance and public intimidation. Malfeasance is committed when a public official fails to perform a lawful duty or performs a lawful duty in an unlawful manner. Public intimidation is committed when a person uses “violence, force, extortionate threats, or true threats … with the intent” to influence a public officer’s conduct.
Governor Jeff Landry defended AG Murrill, calling the indictment a “political witch hunt” against AG Murrill, who was “merely upholding the law.” Governor Landry has historically embraced a “tough on crime” approach, which can be seen as contrasting the downsizing of the criminal division. The act took effect just days before the elected Democratic exoneree Calvin Duncan was set to take office. Calvin Duncan was exonerated of a murder conviction in 2021 after evidence revealed police officers had lied about him. In light of this backstory, many Democrats see Act 15 as a political targeting of Democrats and Black officials. Republicans, however, including Governor Jeff Landry, argue that the consolidation will make the “local judicial system more efficient and cut costs.”
Louisiana
Louisiana State Police Detectives Investigating Shreveport Police Department Officer-Involved Shooting
17
On July 5, 2026, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Detectives with the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations were requested by the Shreveport Police Department to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred on North Spring Street in Shreveport. Detectives are working to process the scene and gather further information.
Preliminary evidence indicates that officers with the Shreveport Police Department responded to a call for service on North Spring Street. Upon arrival, they encountered an armed subject, and one officer was shot. The armed subject was shot and has been pronounced dead. The officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and no other officers were harmed during the incident. This is an active investigation; further information will be released when it becomes available.
Anyone with information and/or pictures and video is urged to share that information with LSP Detectives. You may anonymously report information through the Louisiana State Police online reporting system by visiting lsp.org and clicking on Report Suspicious or Criminal Activity, or by calling the LSP Fusion Center Hotline at 1-800-434-8007.
-
Maine2 minutes agoPACs should ease up on the political propaganda in Maine | Letter
-
Maryland7 minutes agoMaryland Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for July 6, 2026
-
Michigan14 minutes agoMichigan primary puts Democrats’ socialist strategy to the test | Opinion
-
Massachusetts17 minutes agoThree share lead as Massachusetts Amateur gets underway at Winchester – The Boston Globe
-
Minnesota22 minutes agoMinnesota Lynx bested by Connecticut Sun 90-89
-
Mississippi29 minutes agoMississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for July 6, 2026
-
Missouri32 minutes ago
Missouri teachers push back on governor’s A-F school grading plan
-
Montana37 minutes agoThe Record is Clear: The Wilderness Society, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and Montana Wilderness Association have Consistently Undermined the Roadless Rule
