Highlights

• Superintendent Francis Touchet addressed reports of the Attorney General's investigation on Acadiana’s Morning News
• Touchet calls alleged forgeries an “isolated incident” that the district is working to resolve
• Says LPSS implemented corrective action plan in June and July to prevent future issues
• Former construction director Robert Gautreaux remains employed as a teacher while the investigation continues
• Touchet says the district welcomes any investigation and wants to “finish with this” and move forward

Lafayette Schools Superintendent Calls Construction Scandal 'Isolated Incident,' Welcomes Investigation

Francis Touchet says district implemented corrective action plan last summer after internal investigation revealed issues.

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — Lafayette Parish School System Superintendent Francis Touchet broke his silence Wednesday morning on the Attorney General’s reported investigation into alleged construction bid forgeries, calling the situation an “isolated incident” and welcoming further scrutiny.

Speaking on Acadiana’s Morning News on News Talk 96.5 KPEL, Touchet addressed questions about the Attorney General’s public corruption probe first reported by The Current on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Attorney General Investigating LPSS Construction Projects

What Touchet Said About the Investigation

“The most important thing is I want to finish with this,” Touchet said. “I want to get this taken care of and put it behind us because I truly believe that this was an isolated incident."

The Attorney General’s Office would neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation, which is standard practice for ongoing probes. However, sources told The Current the investigation focuses on whether school officials higher than arrested former construction director Robert Gautreaux were involved in alleged forgeries or knew quotes were being manipulated to direct work to favored contractors.

After The Current published its reporting on the Attorney General's office investigation, LPSS Communications Director Tracy Wirtz gave a statement to KPEL News.

“When issues in the Maintenance Department were discovered early this year, LPSS immediately referred them to the Lafayette Police Department and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office and cooperated in their investigations," Wirtz said. "LPSS has not received any communication from the Attorney General’s Office about these matters, and it is not aware of any current investigation by that entity."

"LPSS will again offer its full cooperation and assistance," the statement concluded. "Should the AG request information, they could expect our full cooperation.”

Investigators are also examining whether any school officials benefited financially from relationships with vendors.

LPSS’s Response Timeline

Touchet explained that when the issue surfaced in June and July, the district conducted its own internal investigation before turning the matter over to the Lafayette Police Department.

After conducting its own investigation, LPSS felt "we needed to bring this to the actual local law enforcement, which we did,” Touchet said. “From that particular point, they took over.”

The superintendent said his team assembled a corrective action plan that summer to ensure similar issues couldn’t happen again.

The Superintendent says his team "put a corrective action plan in place that summer" so the district could avoid this situation in the future.

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Why Gautreaux Still Has His Job

Touchet addressed questions about why Gautreaux remains employed by the district after being arrested in August on state felony charges of filing false public records and injuring public records.

“Everyone is innocent until proven guilty,” Touchet said.

Gautreaux was transferred from his $104,000 construction director position to his previous tenured teaching position at the W.D. and Mary Baker Smith Career Center, where he earns $85,000 annually teaching agricultural science.

“That person is continuing with their last tenured position, which is a teacher,” Touchet said. “We’re waiting for the investigation to actually conclude to see exactly if there are going to be any next steps moving forward.”

Background on the Investigation

The Lafayette Police Department launched its investigation on June 18 after LPSS turned over its internal investigation. That probe led to Gautreaux’s arrest in August.

According to The Current’s reporting, more than two dozen quotes from contractors who said they did not vie for projects have been uncovered on school district documents bearing their letterhead.

LPD closed its investigation and forwarded the case to the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office on December 3. Gautreaux has not yet been charged.

Transparency Commitment

Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, Touchet emphasized the district’s commitment to transparency.

“We want to be transparent," Touchet said. "We want to welcome anyone who wants to come in. We truly believe that we have done our due diligence."

The superintendent’s comments came one day after The Current reported that the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office had launched a public corruption investigation into the school system.

What Happens Next for Lafayette Schools

The district continues to cooperate with law enforcement while maintaining its operations and implementing the corrective measures put in place last summer.

The Current’s inquiry into school construction conflicts was prompted by findings in LPSS’s annual audit that flagged multiple construction projects that should have been combined and put out for bid.

You can listen to Touchet's interview on Acadiana's Morning News below.