DA’s office briefs board on appellate ruling; board convenes executive session on separate litigation

Keith Green of the St. John the Baptist Parish District Attorney’s Office briefed the school board on an appellate decision involving Shondrell Perrilloux and the Parish Council, explaining the Fifth Circuit overturned an earlier injunction and dismissed the suit with prejudice.

Green summarized the ruling, saying the Fifth Circuit found the prior trial judge’s restrictions on the council’s public‑comment rules to be “manifestly erroneous” and affirmed that local bodies may set reasonable public‑comment rules under Title 42 so long as they are not overbroad. He framed the DA’s advice as guidance to help the board avoid similar open‑meetings litigation.

Separately, Atty. John Blanchard asked the board to convene an executive session under La. R.S. 42:17(A)(2) to discuss strategy in Kathy Duhon et al. v. St. John the Baptist Parish School Bd., Doc. No. 90‑1669 (E.D. La.). A motion to enter executive session passed unanimously (11 yeas). The board met in executive session beginning at 6:35 p.m. and reconvened in regular session at 7:30 p.m.; the minutes record two members as absent during reconvening (Triche left at 6:37 p.m., later listed absent for part of the meeting).

The DA’s presentation addressed legal standards for managing public comment periods but did not produce a formal board action beyond the executive‑session vote on separate litigation.