Deyshia Hargrave is seen talking to the Vermilion Parish School District’s board meeting on Monday night.
Deyshia Hargrave is seen talking to the Vermilion Parish School District’s board meeting on Monday night. Screenshot from KATC Youtube Video
Deyshia Hargrave is seen talking to the Vermilion Parish School District’s board meeting on Monday night. Screenshot from KATC Youtube Video

Teacher questioned the superintendent's raise at a meeting. She left in handcuffs, video shows

January 09, 2018 11:54 AM

UPDATED 1 MINUTE AGO

Deyshia Hargrave didn’t think the superintendent of her school district should receive a raise.

So the middle school teacher from the Rene Rost Middle School in Kaplan, Louisiana, attended the Vermilion Parish School District’s board meeting Monday night to voice her opinion.

“I have a serious issue with a superintendent or any person in leadership getting any type of raise,” she said in a video of the meeting posted to Youtube. “I feel like it's a slap in the face for the teachers, the cafeteria workers or any other support staff we have.”

Minutes later, a city marshall would take the English teacher to the ground and escort her out of the building with handcuffs on, KATC reported. It came after she asked questions to the board members assembled before her. It was supposed to be a public comment section with no questions allowed.

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As seen in video from the meeting, Hargrave asked the superintendent “how are you going to take that money, because it’s basically taking out of the pockets of teachers?”

The superintendent began to speak to Hargrave, who the board asked to leave and ruled out of order, KADN reported.

But then, as seen in the video, the teacher was confronted by a city marshall who said, “you are going to leave, or I am going to remove you.”

“Is it against policy to stand?” she asked the board.

The marshall then reached out for her arm.

“Sir, do not,” Hargrave responded as she pulled her arm away.

As Hargrave exited the meeting, someone was heard saying “this is the most disgraceful and distasteful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Seconds after the teacher and marshall left the room, screaming echoed throughout the building.

The video captured by KATC shows Hargrave on the floor with the marshall on top of her telling the teacher to “stop resisting.”

“I am not, you just pushed me to the floor,” she screamed, her voice breaking. “Sir, hold on, I am way smaller than you!”

Hargrave was last seen in handcuffs as she was escorted into a police vehicle.

News of the chaotic exit quickly made the rounds on social media.

“Thank you for being the voice of all Louisiana teachers!” one person wrote on the teacher’s Facebook. “Wish more teachers would be brave enough to voice their opinions! You are a blessing to your students and school.”

“Thank you for your boldness and courage!” another wrote. “The best is yet to come.”

But many argued that the teacher should have left peacefully when given the chance.

“No matter the situation she's clearly resisting arrest,” a user wrote on WBRZ Channel 2’s Facebook post about the story. “I can name plenty of people who didn't get the opportunity to WALK out in handcuffs. She should be grateful!”

Superintendent Puyau told KADN that the school board doesn’t plan to file charges against the teacher. According to a board member, Puyau received a $38,000 raise on a three-year extension in a 5 to 3 vote. The median household income for Vermilion Parish was $47,083 in 2016, according to the census.

In May 2016, Puyau received a negative assessment from some members of the school board, USA Today reported. They pointed to district spending and his attitude toward employees as a reason why.

“This superintendent is an intimidator,” board member Kibbie Pillette said in a TV interview. “That is his style of leadership.”

But others brought up “high” test scores achieved under the superintendent as proof of his success at the time, according to USA Today.

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