VERMILION PARISH (ABBEVILLE) — Emotions ran high Tuesday night as longtime Abbeville Fire Department captain, Beau Barras, addressed the city council to explain his resignation after more than two decades of service.
Barras, who has spent 22 years with the department, said "ongoing political tension" with city leadership and what he described as insufficient support for firefighters ultimately led him to step down.
“I went through a lot with the city trying to get my job back, and I just felt like the mayor never supported my efforts,” Barras said in an interview.
Tensions over his tenure came to a head as his resignation was at the top of Tuesday night's agenda, at times, clashing verbally with Mayor Roslyn White over the circumstances surrounding his departure.
“It was never my intention to not be here,” Barras told council members.
Barras said problems escalated after he suffered a back injury while on duty, and that Mayor White required him to undergo medical evaluations by a cardiologist, general surgeon, and occupational therapist before returning to work.
“Two doctors cleared me one hundred percent,” Barras said. “But an occupational therapist said I did not look like what a firefighter should.”
As a result, Barras said he was placed on unpaid leave while awaiting clearance to return to duty.
“I was effectively ready to go to work, but it was a testing procedure that the mayor put in place — and I felt it was a personal attack against me,” he said.
With no clear timeline to return to work, Barras said he felt he had no choice but to resign. During an emotional address to the council, he also called for the city to invest more in mental health resources for firefighters.
“The only process that’s in place for us is to talk with each other,” he said. “It’s almost something the city doesn’t want to accommodate us with.”
Mayor White allowed Barras additional time to speak but emphasized that the meeting was not a trial and said the city attorney, who she noted was a witness to the matter, would also address the issue.
The mayor declined to comment further when contacted after the meeting.
The Abbeville Fire Department has not announced plans regarding Barras’ replacement or any potential changes to departmental policies.
