RSS Feed

On Wednesday, Superintendent Jerome Puyau’s attorney Lane Roy sent a letter to all eight school board members offering them some legal advice for free.
The letter was e-mailed to each board member at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, and it will also be sent to them by certified mail.
The Meridional obtained a copy of the four-page letter and printed parts of it. You can read the entire letter on the Vermiliontoday.com website.
Roy wrote, “First, let me say that I have known of the situation in Vermilion Parish for some months now. I have followed the actions of the Board, and it has become crystal clear to me that the Board, for whatever reason it has or does not have, is intent on terminating the services of Superintendent Puyau. I remind that the Board represents the public and not its own ideas in any way. It is mandated to do what is best for the public, and again, not necessarily what a particular board member may personally want to do.”
Roy made reference to the school board thinking about letting Puyau attend high school football games in the parish. The school board, after putting him on paid leave, banned Puyau from walking onto the grounds of school board property. Puyau has a daughter who is an Erath High Extreme Dance Team member.
Roy said in his letter, “It is incredible that the Board would even consider this, because it is clearly, in my judgment, illegal. The properties involved are public properties and any member of the public, as long as he is conducting himself in a reasonable fashion, is allowed on public property. That would include even the School Board offices. Lottie Beebe, at my suggestion, continued to go to the School Board office even after she was directed not to do so by the Board. She had every right to do so. Superintendent Puyau does here and clearly, any attempt at restricting him from public property, including football games at local schools, would be a direct violation of the law and would be, in my judgment, something again that would allow Superintendent Puyau to take action against members personally.”
Roy also advised the board members to move forward and make the education system in the parish the best it can be.
“All of this is something which leaves aside the most important issue that is involved herein, and that is providing our children and grandchildren, our neighbors and friends, with appropriate public education in Vermilion Parish. All that is going on between the Superintendent and the Board, at the behest of certain Board members, take the emphasis off of the most important function of the Board and the most important duty of the Superintendent. We have got to get back to that and move forward. If the Board decides that it does not want Superintendent Puyau any longer, it should negotiate with him to do something about his staying on or simply wait for his term to end and get a different superintendent.”
Roy ends the letter by asking the school board members if the action of the school board is in the best interest of the school system in Vermilion Parish.
“I am confident that they are. If you fail to comply with the law in this matter, I assure you that there will be litigation over the matter and that the System and each of you will be damaged as a result of having to participate in such litigation, and give testimony under oath about what has taken place that led to the current turmoil.
All of the above is something that we hope to avoid, but rest assured that if the Board continues in its present course, litigation, by whatever means necessary and wherever necessary, will be the result,” he concluded.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:00PM on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church for Mrs. Mary Margaret Foreman Clark, 84, who passed away on September 17, 2018 at 12:55PM at her daughter's residence surrounded by her loving family.
Fr. Paul Bienvenu, Pastor of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, will be Celebrant of the Mass and will conduct the funeral service with musical accompaniment by Tammy Maturin. Reading from scripture will be Melana Power and Ashley Clark. Giftbearers will be Hali Reaux, Kaitlyn Ryder and Ann-Marie Lange.
Burial will take place in the St. Alphonsus Mausoleum.
Mrs. Mary, a former lifelong resident of Maurice, recently residing in Henry, was the daughter of the late Minos Foreman and the former Edia Abshire. She was the co-owner and operator of Dewey Clarks Grocery for 13 years working alongside her beloved husband Dewey. Ms. Mary enjoyed her weekly card game, playing Bingo and trips to the casino. Her great loves in life were dancing and caring for her grandchildren.
She is survived by her children, Ray Clark and wife Julia of Abbeville, Ricky Clark and wife Phyllis of Maurice, Jacqueline Lange and husband Kerry of Henry, Tammie Domingue and husband Tommy of Erath; grandchildren, Chad and Dana Clark of Maurice, Tim Clark of Cankton, Aaron Clark of Maurice, Ashley and Amber Clark of Maurice, Casey Lange of Abbeville, Ty Lange of Henry, Canen Ryder of Maurice, Jacob Domingue of Maurice, Hali Reaux of Erath; 20 great grandchildren; 1 great great granddaughter; brothers, Clifford Foreman and wife Bonnie of Judice; "T-Black" Foreman and wife "Meon" of Maurice, Elwood Foreman and wife Cindy of Abbeville; daughter-in-law, Debbie Clark of Maurice; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dewey Clark; parents, Minos and Edia Foreman; son, Sherman Clark; and 3 brothers, Eldes "Popeye" Foreman, Shelton Foreman and Leewood Foreman.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Delhomme Funeral Home of Maurice on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 from 5:00PM to 9:00PM. A Rosary will be recited by Deacon Tim Marcantel at 7:00PM on Tuesday evening in the funeral home. Visiting hours will continue Wednesday from 8:00AM until the time of service.
Pallbearers will be Chad Clark, Casey Lange, Ty Lange, Canen Ryder, Jacob Domingue and Tim Clark. Honorary Pallbearers will be Ricky and Ray Clark, Aaron Clark and Derrick Clark, Kerry Lange and Tommy Domingue.
The family would like to thank Community Hospice Care for their wonderful care and the family and friends of Mrs. Clark for all of their help, love, and support.
Personal condolences may be sent to the Clark family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com.
Delhomme Funeral Home, 200 Chief H. Fred Road, Maurice, LA is in charge of funeral arrangements.