Louisiana Education Board Suspends Expense Payments To Member

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — The president of Louisiana's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has told member Walter Lee that he won't get any expense payments until he documents and returns up to $13,000 the legislative auditor alleges he double-billed.

The Times reports that Chas Roemer told the retired DeSoto Parish schools superintendent in a letter dated Thursday.

An audit last week said Lee reportedly billed both the DeSoto Parish school board and BESE for travel and fuel expenses between 2009 and 2012.

DeSoto District Attorney Richard Johnson says he will decide by year's end whether to bring charges. The auditor lists several laws that Lee may have broken.

Lee told The Times-Picayune last week that he would follow his attorney's advice about what to do. He said the reimbursement rules were confusing.