[Editor's Note: This story has been updated with comments from HUD's spokeswoman.]
In August, former Lafayette City-Parish Councilman Chris Williams filed suit against the Lafayette Housing Authority seeking back wages, penalties and attorney’s fees. The suit accuses the LHA of breach of contract between the federally funded housing agency and Williams’ non-profit Lafayette Training and Career Development Center Inc. Williams was hired in January 2008 by the LHA to provide training to Hurricane Katrina evacuees through the federal Disaster Housing Assistance Program. He was fired after an audit that found numerous problems with how the program was being run.
Williams’ suit came on the heels of the LHA’s decision to settle lawsuits — quietly, had we not asked — by two former contractors who worked on the controversial disaster assistance program. Linda Jefferson and Myra Parker, who were terminated with Williams and two others on Aug. 13, 2010, were paid $40,000 after they sued for backpay. All three cite a clause in the contract with LHA stipulating that the housing agency was required to give them 30 days notice before terminating the DHAP contract.
“The Housing Authority of Lafayette (HACL) recently settled lawsuits brought against it by Linda Jefferson ($10,000) and Myra Parker ($30,000). The settlements have been paid,” HUD Regional Public Affairs Officer Patricia Campbell wrote last month in an email response to The Independent. “While the Housing Authority is confident it would have prevailed in court, the HA chose to settle, on the advice of its legal counsel, because the cost of continued litigation would have exceeded the amount of the settlements. HACL’s focus is on moving forward, and providing the best possible services to residents and the community.”
Williams et al were initially hired at a rate of $16.08 per hour working 80 hours bi-weekly for a $1,286 paycheck every two weeks plus a $300 car allowance. The contract was renewed in December of that year to extend until March 31, 2010, increasing their hourly take to $30 and their bi-weekly paycheck to $3,260 — this while Williams was working a full-time job in the Special Services Department at UL Lafayette.
Williams’ herculean work load — simultaneous “full-time” jobs — was brought to light as a result of an independent audit on the LHA, an audit that led state and federal officials to investigate DHAP. In August of 2010, as the LHA saga spiralled out of control — its top executives would soon resign their positions amid intense federal scrutiny and unflattering media coverage — the agency terminated DHAP and canned Williams.
The Daily Advertiser reported Friday that HUD officials, acting as the LHA board, met yesterday in executive session to discuss strategy for Williams’ suit but no resolutions were adopted. Ada Holloway with HUD in Atlanta, Dan Rodriguez of HUD in Texas and LHA Chief Operating Officer Katie Anderson met for nearly an hour, the daily paper reported.
"Mr. William’s case is being handled entirely on its own merits," HUD's Campbell says, "just as the Jefferson and Parker cases were."
The other two DHAP case managers, Beatrice Wilson (aka Porsha Evans) and Charlie Esie, did not file suit to recover any money. Campbell says no out of court cash settlements have been made to either of them.
MAY 23 Here's a story in the Picayune about some statistics that must come as a blow to folks who believe that any private school can do a better job of educating kids than any public school: Danielle Dreilinger reports that only 30 percent of the voucher kids are passing. That's less than half of the state wide average, she says. It's an interesting statistic because most of the schools (if not all) taking voucher kids have never had their students' standardized test scores released to the public before.
MAY 23 Stephen Sabludowsky blogs on Bayou Buzz about auditor requests here. Recently the state GOP started crowing about a request from the Legislative Auditor, claiming they were being targeted because of their anti-tax stance. (Uh, your what?) Denial and hyperbole aside, the state Democratic party blew holes in that theory with an email announcing they'd received the same request, Sabludowsky writes here.
MAY 23 Jim Brown blogs about the senate race in this post. He says that, given Bobby Jindal's "lack of traction" on the national stage, it might make more sense for the governor to consider running against Mary Landrieu for the senate seat. Since Tim Teeple left the Cassidy team, it makes sense he might land on a Jindal for Senate team, Brown opines.
MAY 23 In this Louisiana Voice post, blogger Tom Aswell writes of rumors that his nemesis, state Superintendent of Education John White, may be soon departing Louisiana for a federal post. It's hard to believe, given his performance, Aswell says, but stranger things have happened. An anti-White BESE member says that, if true, White is quitting before he can be fired.
MAY 23 In this post on American Zombie, blogger Jason Berry writes about the Mother's Day shooting. Mayor Landrieu said that "this is not who we are," but the fact is, this is New Orleans, Berry writes. The violence infused in the city is the result of a culture created by "sins of omission or sins of commission," Berry writes. It's not a problem that can be solved by legislating, policing, praying or publicizing, he says: Someone's got to understand what's happening first.
MAY 23 This post in the Westside Journal tells us what Port Allen Mayor Deedy has been up to lately: vetoing ordinances, apparently. This story is most interesting, however, when it delves into a petition that has been circulating around the city lately. It accuses the former mayor of a lot of nasty things; the former mayor says it is full of lies and "broken syntax" which may be a larger offense in his eyes.
MAY 23 This editorial posted in The Advocate is a bit confusing. The writing is poor - definitely not up to the usual editorial writing standard there - and the point is hard to grasp. Apparently, the writer is saying that privatization of state efforts is OK, as long as there is oversight and transparency, but Jindal's not good at that, and the legislature shouldn't over-react. Okey Dokey. Can't they get one of them Pulitzer-winning people to write an editorial?
MAY 23 This post on The Lens gives you links to a new Google Earth tool that allows you to see any spot on earth transform over the past 30 years. Bob Marshall, who covers the coast for the paper, says that in the case of Louisiana's coastline, it's possibly something you don't want to see, because it's not a pretty picture. There are several clips here, showing critical areas erode away. For Marshall, it was vindication for all those times he was met with eye-rolling when he talked about erosion.
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