Potential federal civil rights lawsuit against LPSS

LAFAYETTE, La. - Back in August many parents were'nt too happy about the mask mandate in Lafayette Parish Schools. One of those parents was Brandon Rodrigue, he says like many he just wanted his voice to be heard and he planned to do so at a Lafayette parish school board meeting.

Brian Rodrigue never got the chance to tell the Lafayette Parish School board he opposed their mask mandate at the start of the school year. He says upon entering the meeting he was blocked by an LPSS employee and a Lafayette parish deputy with a letter from Lafayette Superintendent Irma Trosclair.

"Telling me that if I did not leave the property that I would be arrested because Irma said I'm not allowed on any LPSS property. Now once again this is public property," said Rodrigue.

Rodrigue then took his concerns to the Louisiana Attorney General's Office. A response from the office siding with him saying that LPSS violated the state's open meetings law plus the first amendment and now Rodrigue's considering filing a federal civil rights lawsuit.

"We believe that it should be a choice. State law and federal law dictates that we as the parish have the right, the paramount right to determine what's best for our kids health. Not the school board, not the CDC, not Louisiana Department of Health, not John Bel Edwards," said Rodrigue. 

Rodrigue says he wasn't allowed in becuase he and other parents started peacefully protesting the mask mandate in august.

Then in October he was banned from all LPSS meetings.

I reached out to Lafayette Parish School Board President Mary Morrison for a comment. She says "after consulting with our legal team we cannot make a comment at this time due to the fact that there is no actual record of the lawsuit."

Now Rodrigue says that he's not yet going to announce which district he'll be running for because LPSS is currently redrawing those districts.