A Louisiana teacher that spoke out about teachers pay at a school board meeting was subsequently removed and arrested. Now the board president is responding.
Dramatic footage that has since gone viral, shows the teacher addressing the school board members during the public comments section. But she was escorted out the second time she approached the podium, resulting in a physical scuffle in the hallway.
“I have reviewed the video and I am not going to approve any charges against the teacher,” Funderburk told the network. “I talked with the attorney for the school board, and they do not wish to pursue any charges against the teacher.”
Hargrave had addressed the school board about teachers salaries while questioning the superintendent’s pay raise.
“I have a serious issue with a superintendent, or any person in a position of leadership, getting any type of raise,” Hargrave told board members from her seat. “I feel like it is a slap in the face to all the teachers, cafeteria workers and any other support staff we have.”
Vermilion Parish School Board president Anthony Fontana, who is also an attorney, spoke out about the incident and thinks the whole thing was a “set up.”
According to KATC-TV, the two board members had been at odds with Fontana over the superintendent’s pay raise and had even boycotted meetings last fall.
Footage shows Hargrave screaming at an Abbeville city marshal after he allegedly pushed her to the ground.
“Stop resisting,” the officer can be heard telling her after she was placed in handcuffs. She then responds “I am not – you just pushed me to the floor. Sir, hold on, I am way smaller than you.”
During the board meeting, Fontana ruled Hargrave “out of order” after she posed several questions during the comments section of the meeting.
At Monday’s meeting, the board approved a renewal of superintendent Jerome Puyau’s contract, including the first raise he had received for the job since 2013. His salary increased from $110,190 to $140,188, an increase if $29,998.
Puyau told KATC on Monday night that he called the police to ensure that they were not pressing charges against Hargrave, but she was booked anyway, records show.
Full video below:
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