Article Image Alt Text

Deyshia Hargrave (left) holds up her Courage Award that she was given by the LTAE. Next to her is Debbie Meaux.

Courage Award winner

Hargrave honored by the state teacher’s association

One question has changed the life of Deyshia Hargrave, a Rene Rost Middle School teacher.
At a Vermilion Parish School Board meeting a few months ago, Hargrave asked Superintendent Jerome Puyau why he thought it was right for him to get a pay raise when teachers have not gotten one in years. A few minutes later, Hargrave was being escorted out of the meeting by Reggie Hiltz, who works for the Abbeville Marshal’s office. Hiltz handcuffed Hargrave, placed her in a police car and drove her to the Abbeville Police Station.
A video of her being escorted out of the meeting and being handcuffed went viral in 24 hours. Hargave became in instant celebrity and interviewed by national media. The video, as of today, has 3.3 million views.
Today, because of the video, Hargrave’s life is not the same as it was before she questioned Puyau’s pay raise.
“My life has changed in the way that people recognize me,” she said. “People all over the world have sent me mail to my house or messaged me to express their outrage and support of me. I have really seen good in the world after having experienced some of the worst treatment by my own employer.”
This past weekend, Hargrave was honored by the Louisiana Teacher’s Association of Educators (LTAE) for how she conducted herself at the school board meeting where she was escorted out of meeting.
She received the Courage Award from the state teacher’s association.
“Courage comes from doing what is right even when everyone else is doing something different,” she said. “I was honored to receive the award of courage. I stood up one day as a mother, taxpayer and teacher to question something that did not seem right to me. That one question has impacted my life in so many ways.”
She added that when she thinks about the Award of Courage, she thinks about a quote hanging in her house in the living room.
“You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.”
“Courage comes from the power we already have as teachers. The power to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves and the power to do what is right everyone else are doing something different,” Hargave said.

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