By LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / May 26, 1999

LUTCHER – St. James Parish interim Superintendent of Schools WalterLandry Sr., who faces the end of his short-lived tenure, is not going awayquietly.

Landry, who commented as to the manner of his dismissal, “I feel it was inappropriate,” backed up his words with the filing of a federal civil suit against the St. James Parish School Board and five of its members on May10.

No hearing date has yet been scheduled, Landry said.

Succeeding Landry in the position will be P. Edward Cancienne, who takesthe job July 1 with a substantial increase over Landry’s salary for the job.

Cancienne contracted for $96,134 per year.

Landry’s primary complaints, detailed in his lawsuit, include his improper dismissal and his reduction in pay. He emphasized that board members didnot want a black superintendent and insisted his civil rights were violated.

Landry is the first black superintendent in St. James Parish Schools.Cancienne is white.

In addition to the lawsuit, a federal probe into the matter was launched at the behest of local citizens who organized a civil-rights protest. Thatprobe is looking into Landry’s race as a factor in his hiring and firing.

The probe is also following up allegations of widespread racial discrimination, such as disproportionate racial balance in school faculties and student populations. During May 18-20, Justice Departmentrepresentatives visited every public school in St. James Parish, gatheringinformation to back up the allegations.

Landry insisted he has nothing to do with the federal probe.

Landry, a native of Donaldsonville who began his career in 1970 as a librarian at Lutcher High School, was voted into his present job after a selection process which split the school board, 4-3, with a salary of $69,000 per year.

Those members who voted against Landry’s hiring as interim superintendent a year ago were Lloyd LeBlanc, Kenneth Foret and Carol Lambert.

Later, because his was not the highest salary in the system, Landry’s pay was increased by $1,656 to make it so in another 4-3 vote.

New board member Kathleen Becnel joined the three dissenters after her election last fall and took back the added pay through majority board action, not the required two-thirds vote as required by law.

Later, Charles Nailor joined the anti-Landry forces to vote for Cancienne as the parish’s new superintendent.

During his tenure, Landry visited schools in the parish and received an overall satisfactory rating of 82 percent, according to the lawsuit. Duringhis first quarter on the job, Landry also received four favorable evaluations from board members George Nassar, Willis Octave, John Schexnayder and Richard Reulet.

According to Landry’s contract: “Quarterly reports on the performance of the Superintendent shall be given to the Superintendent by the Board. Thepurpose of these quarterly reports shall be to provide feedback to the Superintendent regarding the Board’s perception of the Superintendent job performance.”Other board members have not provided quarterly evaluations of the superintendent.

Landry contended in his lawsuit that “defendants intentionally placed many obstacles in his path, with the hope that he would fail.”On March 1, Landry received a letter from board president Foret, acting without a vote of board, which told him his contract “will not be extended or renewed,” according to the lawsuit.

Landry did apply for the permanent superintendent’s position and lost to Cancienne in a 5-2 vote. Voting for Landry were Octave and Nassar.Landry’s lawsuit contends: “The application process was a sham, for plaintiff (Landry) had no opportunity whatsoever to be selected permanent superintendent of the St. James Parish School System. P. EdwardCancienne was pre-selected for the position.”Landry’s resume includes a bachelor of science degree in 1967 from Southern University, a master’s degree in education in 1972 from Southern University and a Specialist Degree in Administration from Nicholls State in 1997 and Supervision. He has earned 78 credit hours toward hisdoctorate in Special Education.

He started at Lutcher High as a librarian, transferred to St. James HighSchool in 1974 and was promoted to librarian/teacher in 1975. In 1980, hewas promoted to the job of child welfare, attendance and transportation supervisor, then to area supervisor.

Landry is represented by New Orleans attorney Ronald L. Wilson. Theschool board and the five members named in the suit, Nailor, Foret, Lambert, LeBlanc and Becnel, are represented by the law firm of Veniza & Gattuso.

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