'Fire Nichole Bourgeois' group not going away

Our friend and Bossier’s premier political observer Marty Carlson has opined about School Board President Eddy Ray Presley's recent 'moron' remarks. You can read Marty’s column in the Press Tribune.

Meanwhile, Attorney John Settle has released the results of his public information request as to how much has been spent in legal fees.
In the case of Live Oak Coach Musemeche’s lawsuit so far the Board has expended $19,000.
In the Jessica Morton suit, $38,000.
No figures are available yet for the Lori Rayborn suit as it was just filed a couple of weeks ago. Meanwhile, the coalition behind the ‘Fire Nichole Bourgeois’ Facebook page and the petition it is associated with are not going away.
We will continue to follow up and keep you posted.

This Week in Bossier

Just as Bossier was reeling from the brutal murder of James Harber last week, another tragedy has struck close to home.
The Bond Disappearance
Ann Bond was reported missing when she didn't show up for work. Deputies went to her home on Wemple Road, where they found her car in the garage but no one home. Bossier Detectives saw enough suspicious evidence to get a search warrant for the house.
They contacted her estranged husband Robbie Bond by phone and he promised to come immediately to aid them in the search. He didn't show.
From the evidence at the scene, the Bossier Sheriff obtained a warrant for 2nd degree murder. Bond's truck was spotted at a rest stop in Southern Mississippi Friday morning and when Mississippi law officers knocked on the windows to awaken him, he shot himself.
He was taken into custody and transported to a hospital where he is said to be in fairly stable condition, Bossier Parish Detectives are in Mississippi to question him and try to ascertain the whereabouts of Mrs. Bond.
The Parkway/Nichole Bourgeois saga continues.
School Board President Eddy Ray Presley has apologized for calling some of his constituents 'morons', but barely. It was one of those "I'm sorry but...." type of apologies.
Meanwhile, the Parkway Education Coalition has engaged local attorney John E. Settle, Jr. to represent them in their dealings with the Bossier Parish School Board.
Superintendent D.C. Machen has said, however, that he will give no weight to public opinion on the lawsuits and problems that seem to plague Parkway and Principal Bourgeois.
Attorney Settle has made several public information requests to the Board.
You can read about his efforts on Forward Now.
In the meantime, though hope is waning, let's all pray that Ann Bond is safe.

In Memory of James Harber

I put this on Facebook and got such an overwhelming response that I decided to share it with those who are not on Facebook.

A 21 year old, James Harber, was killed this week while working his night job at the Exxon on Airline & Old Minden Road. This young man had made the choice not to drink, smoke or party according to his friends. He had enlisted in the Army and was to head to basic in January. He was killed by someone who was sentenced to two years in February (for purse snatching), who was on probation and was arrested last month for simple possession, a violation of that probation. He bonded out.
While we can't honor James' service on this day, we can honor his desire to offer it.
What a shame.

Veterans Day

A Veterans Day wish to My Bossier readers from our friend, Sammy Wyatt.

As we approach Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, 2013 my thoughts a prayers are with all of the veterans, active duty military, and their families who have sacrificed so much serving our country. This is a day of honor, respect, remembrance, and thankfulness. To think of the selflessness that not only the service member makes but the families of the service members. 
In America today, so many Americans take for granted our freedoms, how we obtained those freedoms, and how we keep those freedoms. In the famous words of retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, Walter Hitchcock, “Freedom is not Free!” Each generation thousands upon thousands of Americans voluntarily leave their homes, families, and careers to do their part in protecting this great nation of ours, and our way of life. So many have paid the ultimate sacrifice of giving their life so our great nation can continue to exist as One Nation Under God. Former President Ronald Reagan once quoted ““Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.” America, and the Christian way of life have been under attack here in our home land, and abroad in other nations. It would be inevitable that one day another “Adolf Hitler” would attempt to control the world, and destroy Democracy and Christianity should we ever fail to help, aide, and assist those countries in need.
I, myself, am a former veteran of the U.S. Navy, and I am forever grateful, and honored to have served with men and women from all around the country who volunteered to serve this great nation. My thoughts and prayers are with those who are currently serving, their families, those who have returned home forever changed by the events they have survived, for their families who now have such a weight on their shoulders to comfort, support, and understand what their loved ones have went through, and with those families who their loved ones have given all. As a veteran, and an American, I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for your service and sacrifice.
On this Veterans Day, I will be remembering each of you from the beautiful LSU Camps in BatonRouge, as I have relocated to Baton Rouge, La. after accepting a position with the LSU System to start a Fraud Investigations Unit. May God bless each of you and keep you and your families safely in his arms.

The Morons in South Bossier

A very serious and strained situation has taken a bizarre turn.

I blogged about the latest lawsuit against the School Board and Parkway Principal Nichole Bourgeois. I also included a link to a Facebook page that has been set up.

A petition was also started on Change.org to ask the school board to remove Dr. Bourgeois as principal.

School Board President Eddy Presley responded on the petition.

Comments on the Facebook page heated up at that point.

Late last night Presley accused the people who set up the page of Cyber Bullying.

In an attempt to get a clarification and possibly calm the situation down, this morning I sent Mr. Presley the following email:

Mr. Presley,

On my blog, 'My Bossier', I have posted about the lawsuits and controversy surrounding Parkway and Principal Bourgeois.

You seem to have created quite a stir with some remarks on a Facebook page and a petition.

Would you care to make a statement about it for me to put on the blog when I engage that subject?

Thanks,

Jim Wells

His reponse was the following:

We r not being sued because I have not served lawsuit papers
Why don't you find out who started the petition and ask them??

In fact the lawsuits do exist.

Here is a link to the lawsuit filed by Jessica Morton.

Here is a link to the lawsuit filed by Lori Rayborn.

I don’t have a link to the lawsuit filed by Coach Musemeche, but I do know that it was filed in East Baton Rouge District Court. The suit number is 617210. The case has been assigned to Division E, Judge William A. Morvant. Attorney Jill L. Craft is representing Coach Musemeche.

So yes, lawsuits have been filed despite the President of the School Board saying that they have not.

So far as asking the people who started the petition, they have nothing to do with the lawsuits and they certainly can’t make a statement for Mr. Presley.

People do have a right to address their grievances, whether in an online petition, a Facebook page or by whatever means. I think it is good that a public official will respond, but I am at a total loss as to the manner in which he chose to do so. Calling people morons and accusing them of cyber bullying is frankly over the top. I'm also at a loss to understand how he could say that the board is not being sued.

We will see how it plays out.

Parkway Principal Caught up in a Whirlwind of Controversy

Parkway High School Principal Nichole Bourgeois has been sued again, this time by the former school nurse. 
Parkway’s football team is having an explosive season, but they won’t be able to host a playoff game at home because the High School Athletic Association has sanctioned the school as a result of the handcuffing of Live Oak coach Barry Musemeche last year. Bourgeois said that “when he would not leave the field after several requests, I requested that the police officers take him off the field”
According to the lawsuit filed by Musemeche, the Parkway band was not supposed to take the field until 7:45. After the Live Oak Band decided not to go on the field, Musemeche says he had an agreement with the Parkway coach and the head official to keep his team on the field warming up until the Parkway band was due at 7:45. At 7:35 Bourgeois ordered Live Oak to leave the field. When Musemeche did not comply, Bourgeois asked law enforcement to escort him from the field.
The LHSAA agreed that this was improper, and sanctioned the school. Unfortunately, that also keeps the football players from playing on their home field in a playoff game.
I truly hate this for the players, but appeals were exhausted in March, and this week after reconsidering, the executive committee of LHSAA overwhelming voted to uphold the sanction.
Although I seriously doubt that it will have any effect, there is a petition online that you can sign onto asking them to reconsider again.
Musemeche has sued the School Board, Nichole Bourgeois, Bossier Parish Sheriff and the City of Bossier. He says that he is not seeking financial gain, but only to restore his good name. "I'm 49 years old and I've never been handcuffed in my life and I never thought that 20 minutes before a football game warming up my team would be the thing that would do it”, he said.
Now to more serious matters. 
There have been multiple suicides in South Bossier, some involving Parkway students. Jessica Morton sued Principal Bourgeois and the School Board after the suicide of her daughter, Danielle Cox, alleging that the school and the principal did nothing to protect Danielle.
Now that claim has been reinforced by the latest lawsuit, brought by Lori Rayborn, who was the school nurse at Parkway. Rayborn’s lawsuit is available online at the KSLA website. She alleges that her concerns about Danielle were ignored, and that the school failed to provide Danielle and other Diabetic students with mandated care provided by the Americans with Disability Act.
KSLA’s story about the lawsuit and the entire situation is here.
Eighteen year old Jason Thomas is going on trial in December on a charge of criminal assistance to suicide in December in Danielle’s case.
In April some band members were involved in a hazing incident that simulated a sex act. You can read about that case here.
Now a Facebook Page 'Fire Nichole Bourgeois' has been started. 
A lot is going on in South Bossier that has a lot of people upset, and Principal Bourgeois is right in the thick of it. We’ll see what, if anything, happens as a result.