UPDATE: A district judge has ruled that Evangeline Parish School Board member Wanda Skinner does not live in her district, and declared her seat vacant.
We spoke to Skinner Tuesday afternoon, and she said the judge ruled during a Monday afternoon hearing. We'll have more on this story later today on KATC TV3.
Last month, we reported that the Evangeline Parish District Attorney’s Office filed a lawsuit, seeking to declare the District 8 seat on the Evangeline Parish School Board vacant.
The legal action followed an investigation initiated by District Attorney Trent Brignac, who received four written complaints from residents of District 8. The complaints allege that Wanda Skinner, the current officeholder, does not reside at her listed address within the district.
In the lawsuit, the DA presents Skinner’s Notice of Candidacy for School Board District 8, which lists her address as a residence on Rozas Street in Ville Platte. The lawsuit also includes utility records.
According to those records, Skinner's electricity usage has been minimal since January, Additionally, the records indicate that her water and sewer services were disconnected in May of this year.
On Wednesday afternoon, KATC visited the Rozas Street property to look at the residence. The property appeared neglected, with overgrown weeds and visible damage to the home.
KATC reached out to Wanda Skinner at the time to get her side of the story.
In a statement, Skinner said:
"Yes, I do live at that address. However, I am not there every night. I am currently helping my sister who is ill, so I stay with her or I will stay with other family members who need my help. The electricity is on but my water is off due to a water leak."
We have contacted the District Attorney's office multiple times for comment, but as of now, we are still awaiting a response.
Skinner is scheduled to appear in court on December 18 - but she was never served with the notice, and so she was served at a school board meeting with the new January date.
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The Evangeline Parish District Attorney's office will file suit this week, seeking to have the District 8 seat on the parish school board vacant.
This action, announced in a press release, comes after several people filed complaints that Wanda Skinner, the current school board member for District 8, doesn't reside within the district.
According to the press release, seven residents of the district filed written complaints alleging that Skinner doesn't live at the Rozas Street address she gave to the Secretary of State when she qualified for the seat.
State law requires that the District Attorney's office investigate when a registered voter files a complaint about an elected official's residency. So, the DA's office investigated and visited the house - and issued a report stating that it doesn't appear that anybody is living there.
According to the press release, District Attorney Trent Brignac and several of his assistants visited the home, which to them appeared vacant and dilapidated. On November 19, Brignac met with Skinner to address the accusations. Skinner told Brignac that she does, in fact, live at the home.
KATC reached out to Skinner to get her side of the story. In a statement, she said:
"Yes, I do live at that adress however, I am not there every night. I am currently helping my sister who is ill, so I stay with her or I will stay with other family members who need my help. The electricity is on but my water is off, due to a water leak."
But the press release from the DA says that utility records show no water has been used at the home since December 2023, and that the water was cut off in May 2024. Electricity bills for the 2024 calendar year show negligible usage, the release states.
The DA's office says that they did give Skinner the opportunity to let them see the inside of the home, however, she declined.
