How much will Abbeville owe 11 senior police officers?

In February 2025, 11 senior Abbeville Police Officers won the first round of their lawsuit against the city over a pay dispute.
On Monday afternoon at the district court in Abbeville, Judge Michelle Billeaud listened to both attorneys discuss how much the city should pay in back wages to the 11 senior police officers.
James Hilburn, the attorney for Abbeville, argued that the city does not owe the 11 officers any money.
Some of the senior officers suing the city were in the courtroom.
Chris Landry, the attorney for the 11 senior officers, said the city owes them about $333,000. This amount includes their base pay, 2% raises from the past year, and missed retirement contributions.
After hearing both sides, Judge Billeaud told the attorneys she would announce her decision on February 2, 2026.
Each attorney brought a certified public accountant to the stand to explain to Judge Billeaud what they believed the city should owe the 11 officers.
Landry called CPA Michael Broussard from Langlinais Broussard & Kohlenberg, who told the judge that each senior officer should get an average of $19,000 in back pay. Some officers with higher salaries could get $36,000, $34,000, $33,000, or $30,000, while others might get as little as $8,000, depending on whether they still work for the department.
Hilburn called CPA Steven G. Moosa from Darnal, Sikes and Frederick to explain why he believes the city does not owe the officers any more money.
Moosa said all police officers got around $19,840 in raises within three years. Since everyone received equal pay increases, he argued that the pay scale stayed correct, and the city does not owe back pay to the 11 officers.
Both attorneys are citing a state law that applies only to Abbeville to argue whether senior officers should get extra pay.
Attorney Chris Landry refers to Louisiana State Law 33:2212, which covers laws specific to the Abbeville Police Department.
Landry argues the city owes $333,000 in back pay because a state law set the salaries for first-class officers, sergeants, and lieutenants.
One law states that a first-class officer will receive 15 percent more than a new officer. A sergeant will always receive 25 percent more than a new officer, and a lieutenant will receive 50 percent more than a new officer.
Landry told the judge that two city raises doubled the yearly pay of a starting patrol officer from $20,000 to $40,000.
However, a lieutenant who made $30,000 before the raises now makes $50,000. This is only $10,000 more than a starting officer or 25 percent more, instead of the required 50 percent like the state law states.
A sergeant who made $27,000 before the raises now makes $47,000. According to the law, a sergeant should earn 25 percent more than a starting patrol officer, which would be $51,750 a year, not $47,000.
Moosa, however, is trying to persuade the judge to consider a different argument.
Mossa told the judge that, just below the section about percentage pay raises, the law also allows the city to give equal raises to all full-time police officers, without consideration of rank or years of service. These raises are funded by a special sales tax, which city voters approved.
The city could only afford to give all police department employees the same pay raise, instead of making sure senior officers got additional percentages above a first-year officer’s pay.
Moosa said that some senior officers are now at the right percentage after the two pay raises. For example, a lieutenant who made $60,000 before the raises now makes $71,000, which is more than 50 percent above the starting salary of $40,000.
In 2019, a new Abbeville officer started at a $20,000 salary before any raises were applied. Three years later, that officer’s pay rose to over $40,000, and they are one of the 11 suing the city.
Abbeville Mayor Roslyn White is disappointed with the lawsuit. She notes that taxpayers approved a sales tax increase to fund employee raises, but some officers still feel they are owed more money.
“We gave a generous raise - more generous than has ever been given,” said Mayor White. “More than any other department in the city. We feel we have done everything within the law. The fact that a handful of officers believe they are owed more money is their right; but it is up to the court to tell us how much we owe them. We are going to have to deal with the ramifications of that.”
No matter what Judge Billeaud decides on February 2, 2026, the losing side is expected to appeal to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.