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School board member Luddy Herpin has been ill.

Four Vermilion Parish School Board members miss another meeting

They release press release explaining why they miss

For the third straight time, four school board members elected not to attend a specially called school board meeting.
The four school board members not in attendance at Monday night’s meeting were Laura LeBeouf, Luddy Herpin, Kibbie Pillette and Sara Duplechain.
Attending the meeting were Anthony Fontana, Chris Gautreaux, Stacy Landry and Chris Hebert.
School Board President Anthony Fontana requested a special meeting be held Monday night because the same four board members missed last Monday’s meeting. Fontana put the same items on the agenda for last night’s school board meeting as the board meeting before.
The four members who missed the meeting, issued a press release before the meeting as to why they missed. Three refused to attend until board member Luddy Herpin is healthy enough to vote on the budget, three board members explained.
Here is the entire press release they sent to the Meridional on Monday.
“On Friday Aug. 4, 2017, Mr. Pillette called Mr. [school board attorney Woody] Woodruff and explained that some board members would not be able to attend a board meeting on Aug. 7, 2017 due to other conflicts. In addition, Mr. Herpin made a request to place the meeting on August 14th. Mr. Fontana stated he would move the meeting if Mr. Herpin would get an excuse. Mr. Fontana changed his mind and refused Mr. Herpin’s request.
It is important that the public understand that Mr. Fontana continues to set meetings to promote his agenda – the budget. He controls the agenda and controls setting all of the meetings. At no time in his role as president has he ever reached out to us and communicated with us. If the budget passes by a vote to 4-3, all violations of policy and the law and unapproved board actions during this calendar year becomes exempt from scrutiny and investigation. The approval of the budget will exempt these actions.
In addition, before electing to miss any meeting, the proper authorities were contacted to see if any law violation would occur. There is no violation for missing meetings or committee meetings. Mr. Fontana should have realized this since 2015, he rarely attended committee meetings and has missed numerous board meetings- specifically after the insurance did not pass, yet he continues to revisit the insurance decision which was passed.
Since Mr. Fontana has refused Mr. Herpin’s request, we as board members will honor his request and will vote when Mr. Herpin returns. It should be enough for Mr. Fontana that Mr. Herpin is under a doctor’s supervision.”

Vermilion Today

Abbeville Meridional

318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022

The Kaplan Herald

219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548

The Gueydan Journal

311 Main Street
Gueydan, LA 70542