ABBEVILLE, La. (KLFY)- The 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office has issued subpoenas to some current and former Vermilion Parish School Board members, along with Superintendent Jerome Puyau. 

They are ordered to appear before a grand jury at the Vermilion Parish Courthouse at 9 a.m. on January 29.

Superintendent Jerome Puyau tells New 10 that he is does not know the circumstances around the grand jury hearing. 

He tells News 10, his subpoena was hand delivered to his office on Monday.

The DA’s Office has also called Kibbie Pillette, District F School Board Member, a witness for the State.

“Whatever he is investigating, he is not letting us know,” Pillette tells New 10 of District Attorney Keith Stutes. 

Stutes confirmed an ongoing investigation into the Vermilion Parish School Board, but said he is not at liberty to discuss details of the case, or what’s being investigated.

Sources tell News 10 the investigation could involve some Board Members not showing up to meetings last year, forcing a ‘no quorum,’ and meetings having to be canceled.

This happened at the regular Board Meeting on November 15 of 2018, where 4 Board Members were absent from that meeting, and the same 4 were absent from a Committee Meeting on November 13.

The Boards’ Attorney has said they were absent in protest, because they believed Superintendent Jerome Puyau should not have been permitted to return to work, pending an investigation into grievances attacking his character and competence, that were filed by members of the community and former employees. 

The new year hasn’t been easy for the Vermilion Parish School Board.

In a separate case, Deyshia Hargrave, the Rene Rost Middle School teacher teacher who was escorted and arrested during a public meeting, has filed a lawsuit against the board and Marshal Officer Reggie Hilts, the Abbeville Meridional reported.

She was protesting the Superintendent getting a pay raise, when teachers haven’t gotten a raise in years.

The lawsuit casts blame on the school board for hiring Sgt. Hilts without proper training. The lawsuit goes on to claim that Sgt. Hilts “posed a threat of injury to members of the public.”

It was filed almost exactly one year from when the incident involving Hargrave and the officer took place.