If the city council here gets its way, it could soon be illegal for Mayor Melinda Mitchell’s husband, Lawrence “Nanny” Mitchell, to enter any city building or surrounding grounds, or to interact with any city official other than his wife.
At a special meeting on July 18, a resolution directing city attorney Allan Durand to request an injunction to that effect was approved by a 3-1 vote.
Durand, who came to the meeting wearing a bullet-proof vest, said it will be up to a 16th Judicial District Court judge to decide if circumstances warrant such an injunction. “There have been at least five criminal statutes violated here,” he said, “ and I strongly recommend filing for this injunction.”
Mayor Mitchell did not attend the meeting and Mayor Pro Temp Craig Prosper officiated, and abstained from voting on the measure. Juma Johnson cast the only dissenting vote.
The council’s action followed the latest of Mitchell’s problematic interactions with city employees. This time, the targets of his aggression were public works employees. Workers accuse him of approaching them, cursing and threatening them as they cleared storm debris from a city street, then later appearing at the city barn to continue the tirade.
He reportedly cursed at superintendent Brian Touchet, who, ironically, was recently suspended without pay for two days by the mayor for cursing, saying he was going to get Touchet to curse again so he could have him fired. While at the barn, he allegedly threatened and tried to pick a fight with a city employee.
Mitchell has had a rocky relationship with a number of city employees and officials since his wife took office a year ago.
There were weeks of drama related to threats against councilman Prosper for his alleged “disrespect” of the mayor. Those threats resulted in the court granting a protective order requiring Mitchell to stay away from the councilman. That order has been violated no less than four times, resulting in fines and a public service order against Mitchell by the district court.
Council members decided that more measures were needed. “There are multiple reasons for us to do this,” said Mike Fuselier said when he introduced the resolution. “We have real work to do here and we can’t go on being tied up.”
Councilman Edmond Joseph, who was among the members who requested the special meeting, agreed. “It’s time to move the city forward,” he commented. But Joseph suggested that it would not be fair to exclude Mitchell from family events at city parks and Durand and the council agreed to include that exception in the injunction request.
In voting against the action, Johnson said the process established for disciplinary actions against city employees should be followed and Mitchell should be sent a letter of complaint before further action is taken.
Mitchell came to the Teche News office Friday morning and questioned whether the council’s action could legally be taken in his absence. He took offense to Durand’s bullet-proof vest, saying “They’re trying to make me look like a bad guy. I don’t even own a gun.”
And he added that if the case goes to court “They better saddle up and cinch down tight. This horse is going to buck.”
