A contentious moment at the end of Thursday’s Monroe City School Board (MCSB) ended with the meeting being abruptly cut short as board member Bill Willson publicly accused two colleagues, Board President Betty Cooper and Vice President Brenda Shelling, of “malfeasance in office” and demanded their paychecks be garnished to recover over $12,000 in alleged overspent travel funds.
Board President Cooper’s silence and an immediate adjournment after Willson’s explosive claims and subsequent request for official action prevented further discussion during the scheduled meeting.
Accusations and Call for Garnishment
Willson stated that both Cooper and Shelling are reportedly under investigation by the Louisiana State Board of Ethics regarding the alleged “OVERSPENDING of their Annual Travel Expense Stipends.”
In his formal statement, which he continued reading even after the meeting was adjourned, Willson alleged the following:
Total Debt: Cooper and Shelling have “overspent their respective travel budgets and have REFUSED TO PAY THE $12,135.42 THEY OWE TO OUR MONROE CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM.”
Betty Cooper’s Alleged Overspending: Willson claims Cooper owes a total of $3,654.63 from overspending her $7,500 annual budget over the last two years.
Brenda Shelling’s Alleged Overspending: Willson claims Shelling owes a total of $8,480.79 from overspending her travel budget over the last two years.
Willson concluded his statement by formally requesting the MCSB place an item on next month’s agenda to implement a requirement that Cooper and Shelling have their monthly MCSB checks “GARNISHED” throughout the final year of their term to pay off the debt.
Abrupt Adjournment
The atmosphere grew tense as Willson began to voice his grievances. Recorded on the system Live Stream, as Willson spoke, both Cooper and Shelling “mumbled aloud.” Shelling stood and fixed her gaze on Willson while he read the statement.
The meeting took a dramatic turn when President Cooper abruptly adjourned the meeting in the middle of Willson’s public complaint, effectively shutting down the discussion. However, Willson persisted, continuing to read his full statement aloud to ensure it was officially entered into the record.
Officials Remain Silent
Neither Board President Betty Cooper nor Vice President Brenda Shelling have publicly addressed the severe claims of overspending and the ethics investigation. They remained silent during the meeting and did not use their opportunity to address concerns Willson’s raised.
The Free Press attempted to contact both Cooper and Shelling for comment on Friday, but calls were not returned.
The request to place the garnishment proposal on the next agenda sets the stage for a likely showdown between the board members and could further escalate the internal conflict surrounding the school system’s finances.
