School Board suspends Puyau with pay while he is investigated

The Vermilion Parish School Board voted 6-2 to suspend school superintendent Jerome Puyau while an independent investigation takes dealing with a list of complaints against Puyau.
Voting to suspend Puyau were school board members Chris Gautreaux, Kibbie Pillette, Stacy Landry, Laura LeBeouf, David Dupuis and Sara Duplechain.
Voting against the suspension were Chris Hebert and Jean Broussard.
The reason given for the investigation is a list of complaints that board members have heard about Puyau over the last 3 1/2 years.
Board President Stacy Landry, during the executive session out in public, read off a three-page list of complaints.
Landry listed concerns such as:
• No observation of principals
• He does not go into classrooms.
• Takes leave without giving any notification.
• Micromanage
• Attitude - “I am the boss, and I make all the decisions.”
• Morale is low
• Erratic behavior.
• Banging of his hands on the desk
• Abusive behavior
• An attack on a parent in a parking lot
• Overriding board members’ decisions
Landry, who is a big supporter of Puyau, said the reason why he voted to suspend Puyau was a recent action by the superintendent.
With attorney Woody Woodruff retired, the school board wanted to hire a law firm to represent the school board.
Landry said he met with Puyau and requested Puyau sit and listen to the idea of the board of hiring a law firm instead of hiring a full-time lawyer.
Instead of talking to the board about the lawyer position, Puyau hired Kathy Boudreaux as the school board’s attorney. She began work last night.
Landry said Puyau, “Flat out ignored my email. We got a phone call saying he hired legal counsel. It could have been handled better. This did not help the situation. It poured gas on the fire.”
Puyau’s suspension began last night after the meeting. He is not allowed to step foot on school property until the investigation is complete. It is still not known who will be doing the investigation.
Paul Hebert will act as the superintendent during the investigation.