After white supervisor is hired, 2 board members complain

After Supt. Edward Brown announced that June Inhern, a white woman, had been hired as supervisor of individualized instruction, two black St. Landry Parish School Board members voiced complaints.
Hazel Sias, of Opelousas, said she is going to ask for an investigation into the school system’s hiring practices.
“I’m concerned about our hiring practices in St. Landry Parish,” Sias said at Thursday’s meeting. “I’ve been on this board ... a little over a year and since I’ve been on the board every person that has been hired for a top position has been white.”
In December, Scott Champagne, a white, was promoted from supervisor of individualized instruction to Title 1 director.
“I’m sure that they have the qualifications, but I have problem with that. I’m going to ask for somebody to come in and look at the hiring practices of St. Landry Parish,” Sias said.
Milton Ambres, of Opelousas, said he had spoken with Brown about the hiring process.
“I think my comment was ‘Is there no blacks in St. Landry Parish qualified for these positions?’ and he told me there was, but ‘we are hiring the best person.’ Maybe we are, but I still think the hiring practices need to be looked at,” Ambres said.
Brown, a black, said, “I don’t look at skin color. They could be green. If they are the best person for the job that’s it.”
Employment is based on job performance, he said. “Everybody is supposed to have performance in their contract.”
Brown said a committee interviews applicants.
Courtney Joiner, the board’s legal counsel, said the hiring practice is governed by a federal court desegregation order, which directed a committee make selections.
In 2012, the state legislature approved Act 1, which limited School Boards to only hiring the superintendent. All positions in a school district are hired by the superintendent, under the state directive.
However, Joiner said the federal court order supersedes the state directive on school system hiring practices.