The Jerry Baldwin Saga: 1998-2020

[CajunRed]

CajunSaints, I thought I would follow-up on your union comments. Here are some comments from head of Louisiana Federation of Teachers from a Reuters article today as they threaten lawsuit over the state's move to a voucher system. I don't consider the voucher system a final answer for all of public educations woes, but I have seen enough evidence of success from it in the inner cities in Wisconsin and Washington D.C. It's time to think outside the box and try something new. The fear of failure is no excuse not to take action now and move forward.

" In general, White said he will leave it to principals to be sure their curriculum covers all subjects kids need and leave it to parents to judge the quality of each private school on the list.

That infuriates the teachers union, which is weighing a lawsuit accusing the state of improperly diverting funds from public schools to private programs of questionable value.

"Because it's private, it's considered to be inherently better," said Steve Monaghan, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers. "From a consumer perspective, it's buyer beware."

Link
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8H10AG20120601

The last sentence in her quoted comments is hilarious. When it comes to our failed public school system for the last 30 or so years, its been "parents and taxpayers beware"!

[Hammer58]

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article...nclick_check=1

Looks like the legislators are skeptical of the Rev. Toothpick's intentions.

[Cajunrunner]

New Living Word in Ruston is out of the Louisiana Scholarship Program following a financial audit that Superintendent John White said revealed a level of fiscal incompetence and irresponsibility that cannot be tolerated.

White announced the decision Friday following the release of an audit that showed the school overcharged the state for scholarship students' tuition.

According to White, the school now owes the state $378,000 that the audit shows the school overcharged .

No other school in the Louisiana Scholarship Program was found to have violations similar to New Living Word.

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/2...arship-Program

Who here is surprised?

[CajunRed]

Not me. Surprised its only $378,000.

[moorecajun]

Shocking development. Well, maybe not. Well, ok, no surprise.

On another note, there have been reports that toothpick sales have increased in Ruston over $375,000 in one year, an unbelievable record increase.

[AstroCajun]

So how quickly will he sue the state for discrimination?


Again.

[Zeebart21]

He's an honorable man of the cloth. Y'all sound like some "creepy ___' crackas'". If Obama had a paw paw he'd look just like Jerry Baldwin.

[Cajun Monkee]

Piyush always be down with the brown.

BoJi keepin' it real for his peeps in the funky world of faux schools.

[phideaux]

I hope they spent the money on cars and jewelry already. Let the lien filing begin

[Boomer]

Well also maybe it is not just ignorance and over site ---but just maybe with this amount of money---Maybe FRAUD---I hope he doesn't get a pass and they investigate this to the limit!!!

[NewsCopy]

Friday, February 14, 2014

A football coach fired from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette may be entitled to damages because the school failed to give him notice, an appeals court ruled.

Jerry Lee Baldwin was hired to coach the ULL Ragin' Cajuns in 1999 on a four-year contract. In 2000, the Cajuns went 1-10, defeating only the University of Louisiana at Monroe by three points.

Though the team improved to 3-8 in 2001, Baldwin lost his job two days after the Cajuns' season-ending 31-0 loss to Central Florida.

He sued the school, athletic director Nelson Schexnayder and the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana system, alleging racial discrimination, breach of contract, tortious interference and infliction of emotional distress.

A judge in East Baton Rouge ruled for Baldwin in 2005, awarding him just more than $2 million in damages, but the Louisiana Court of Appeals reversed the decision in 2007 based on several errors it found.

On remand, Baldwin withdrew his claims against Schexnayder and the court let only Baldwin's racial discrimination claim advance.

Finding that the lower court improperly granted the school summary judgment on the breach of contract claim, the First Circuit Court of Appeal reversed last week.

Evidence shows that the school violated the contract by failing to give Baldwin 30 days' notice of his firing, according to the ruling.

It is also noteworthy that the board paid Baldwin liquidated damages, which included his remaining base salary.

"However, according to the plain language of the contract, the only circumstance for which the board would be liable to Mr. Baldwin for liquidated damages is 'should the [board] terminate the agreement without just cause,'" Judge John Michael Guidry wrote for a three-member panel (brackets and emphasis in original).

"Thus, the board's payment of liquidated damages is an acknowledgement that the contract was 'terminated' without just cause," the judge added.

On remand, the trial court must determine whether Baldwin incurred damages because of the notice breach.

The rest of the story
_ courthousenews.com _

By JEFF D. GORMAN

[AstroCajun]

Liquidated damages should be all he was entitled to. Paying it was money well spent.