School's Mistrust

The investigation of a school board employee for possible misconduct took a dramatic turn when sources told the Monroe Dispatch that the Monroe City School Board has hired an independent investigator. The board met for the second time last week on Friday, October 6, 2023 in an effort to quell what appears to be some unrest among some in the public including former school board members. The board had met numerous times since making an announcement that a “school district employee” was under investigation for possible misconduct allegedly of a financial nature, only to leave many in the community in the dark. Now that the alleged employee under investigation has been revealed to be Superintendent Brent Vidrine, questions continue to mount, but little information has been shared. During Friday’s meeting, former board member Vicki Kreutzer reminded board members of her efforts to access information through a public request that was denied. Kreutzer said that as a member of the public, she and others are “being kept” in the dark and that their interests are not being represented by the board. Former board member Verbon Muhammad told members that as a former board member, he “understands” because he’s been in their position. Still, he said that the longer the situation went on without the public knowing anything, there could be mistrust brewing in the public. It’s so bad, Muhammad said that some on the board will not even mention the superintendent's name. Vidrine was absent from Friday’s meeting. “Some action needs to be taken," said Muhammad, looking at board president Bill Willson, adding “As president, you need to quieten down the rumors.” One issue of contention confronted by the board has been what to do about Vidrine’s status as the investigation is ongoing. A motion to add to the agenda whether to suspend Vidrine with pay for a specific time was made by board member Brenda Shelling. There was some back/forth that the matter had been settled between Shelling and Willson, but it was made clear by board attorney Doug Lawrence that Shelling’s motion could move forward. The motion was short-lived because all it took was one vote to kill the motion. Then, there was some discussion to get each member’s vote on the record. Members Betty Ward-Cooper, Brandon Johnson, and Shelling voted for the motion, while members Michael Sampognaro, Daryl Berry, and Bill Willson voted no. A unanimous vote led to an executive session. After board members returned, it was revealed that an independent investigator out of Baton Rouge would be hired. How wide or broad the scope of the investigation will be by the investigator, we don’t know. But, as they say, “the plot thickens”.