St. Charles Parish school board upholds two expulsion appeals after split votes

The St. Charles Parish School Board reviewed two expulsion appeals during its March meeting and upheld the district's earlier disciplinary decisions for both students.

In the first case, an ad hoc committee recommended upholding the expulsion of student number 1. The committee moved to approve its recommendation; the motion (moved by Miss Boudreaux and seconded by Mister Gregson) passed on a voice vote and the board affirmed the expulsion.

On the second appeal, the board considered the committee's recommendation to affirm the superintendent's decision for student number 2, which included placement at the Ewell J. Landry Educational Program Center and completion of a counseling program (Option A) before return. Miss Boudreaux moved to affirm that recommendation; Mister Gregson seconded. During discussion, Mister Alexander offered a substitute motion to reduce the expulsion to 90 days (counting from the student’s initial placement at the Landry center) while retaining the counseling requirement; Mister John Smith seconded the substitute.

The substitute motion failed on a show-of-hands vote, recorded in the transcript as 2 in favor and 6 opposed. The board then returned to the original motion to affirm the superintendent’s recommendation; that motion passed, and the expulsion and associated sanctions were upheld.

The board's actions were conducted under the authority cited in the meeting (transcript reference to state statute LRS 17:4 16 c 3 b 4 for the board’s review of expulsions). The board did not read back full public details about the incidents in open session; the motions and voting record were the formal actions taken.

Closing: The board approved the remaining agenda items and moved on to other business.