Lafayette Parish School System authorities released a statement late Wednesday saying they're leaving an investigation into "reported irregularities" to the Lafayette Police Department.
According to an LPSS spokesperson, the "reported irregularities" are recent findings that an oil field company hired by the Lafayette Parish School System to do a project was not licensed as is required by state law - and the two bids it won the project over were forged.
Here's what the release says:
"The Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS) has formally turned over its internal investigation into reported irregularities to the Lafayette Police Department and will provide complete cooperation as law enforcement proceeds with its inquiry. LPSS, along with potentially other entities, has been identified as the victim in any potential criminal activity and will make available all relevant records and documentation to assist investigators," the release states.
It attributes this statement to Superintendent Francis Touchet:
“It is both disappointing and disheartening to believe that anyone—whether a current or former employee—could have taken advantage of their position and betrayed the trust placed in them. The Lafayette Parish School Board and I are committed to transparency, accountability, and protecting the integrity of our operations. In response, we have implemented additional internal controls and safeguards to ensure that this type of situation does not happen again.”
We've reached out to LPD for a comment on the release.
Here are some recent stories we've done about LPSS investigations:
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/lpss-investigates-year-old-video-of-alleged-misconduct
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/update-contractor-not-licensed-other-bids-were-forged
And, here's a story about The Current's ongoing reporting into what might be considered "irregularities":
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/the-latest-on-the-currents-continuing-lpss-investigations
