School boards rep accused of 'threats'
by WILL SENTELL - Advocate (excerpt)

The chairman of the House Education Committee has demanded an apology from a top official of the Louisiana School Boards Association over alleged threats to lawmakers who backed a bill that would trim the power of local boards.

House Education Committee Chairman Austin Badon, D-New Orleans, took the unusual step of publicly chastising Nolten Senegal Sr., executive director of the LSBA, on the eve of a House vote that the LSBA vehemently opposed. Badon summoned Senegal to the committee witness table on Tuesday. He said he was offended by an e-mail sent by Senegal that said legislators needed to know that “if they want to stay in office they need to know what is expected of them” and oppose a bill that would reduce the authority of local school boards.

Badon said the message was sent to a lot of members. “And I have to tell you I was very disturbed by the language that was used in the e-mail,” he said. “I thought it was very uncalled for. I thought it was a personal attack.