Lafayette Parish Library Board Reverses Director’s Firing After Possibly Violating Open Meeting Law

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - During a Thursday afternoon board meeting, the Lafayette Parish Library Board reversed a previous decision to fire former library director Danny Gillane, allowing him to resign instead.

The request to be allowed to resign was previously denied by board president Robert Judge.

Assistant Director Sarah Monroe has been chosen by the board to serve as interim director for the next six months while a search is conducted for a permanent replacement. Moore told The Acadiana Advocate that she has not decided if she'll apply for the permanent position.

More from The Advocate:

The four board members who voted in executive session Monday to fire Gillane, even through Louisiana's Open Meetings Law prohibits voting in closed session, voted Thursday to allow Gillane to resign so he can keep benefits like accrued sick leave and health insurance.

Board Vice President James Thomas, who was absent Monday, said Thursday he never heard the board discuss dissatisfaction with the job Gillane was doing as director for the last two years and, as vice president, he was not informed the board was considering firing him.

Gillane's firing prompted ire from some in the Lafayette community, particularly as it appeared to violate Louisiana's open meetings laws. That has led to a petition that is now circulating online to remove Judge as president of the Library Board.

The board's decision came after Gillane filed a motion with a judge to stop the firing, thus appearing to avoid a lawsuit.

Original story on the firing and motion below.

ORIGINAL STORY

The Lafayette Parish Library Board has made headlines again, this time after firing the parish library director after going into executive session. That then led to the board facing a lawsuit.

The board met on Monday evening to discuss the job that Director Danny Gillane had been doing. The board went into executive session, and board president Robert Judge asked the board to fire Gillane for undermining them. Not every board member was in attendance, but there were enough votes present to go through with it.

According to The Acadiana Advocate, Gillane was "blindsided" by the firing.

Gillane told The Acadiana Advocate he was informed by President Robert Judge that the library board, during an executive session to discuss his annual evaluation, voted to fire him.

Gillane said he was not in the executive session. When the board came out of executive session, he said, Judge told him the board felt he had done a good job with library finances and with staff.

But, he added, Judge told him the board feels he was undermining them and that he was no longer employed by the library system.

When he asked Judge if he could be allowed to resign instead, Gillane said Judge told him no.

Gillane has been employed with the Lafayette Parish library for about 15 years and was appointed library director in June 2021 after having served as interim director since February 2021. He replaced Teresa Elberson who abruptly retired in January 2021 after months of conflict with some board members, according to The Advocate.

The Lawsuit

Gillane, however, appears to be pushing back against his firing and is now asking a judge to vacate it.

The petition also asks 15th Judicial District Judge Michelle Billeaud to invalidate any vote that may be taken at a special library board meeting Thursday to ratify the vote taken Monday.

Attorney Gary McGoffin filed the petition Thursday morning on behalf of former Library Director Danny Gillane, who initiated the retirement process the day after the library board apparently voted illegally to fire him. By retiring, Gillane hopes to retain access to accrued sick days and health benefits through Lafayette Consolidated Government.

The board has called a meeting for Thursday to appoint an interim director in the meantime.

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