By Victoria St. Martin
The Times-Picayune
LAPLACE, La. — The president of a St. John the Baptist Parish volunteer fire department resigned under pressure after officials learned about an e-mail message he forwarded that contained a racial epithet, Parish President Bill Hubbard said.
Hubbard, who talked about the e-mail message after a Tuesday council meeting where it was read aloud, said he asked LaPlace Volunteer Fire Department President Frank Fagot to step down from his post.
After questioning Fagot about the e-mail, Hubbard also ended a $30,000 annual contract with Fagot’s shipping business for the parish’s postage services.
Hubbard said Fagot, who denied forwarding the derogatory e-mail message to another parish fire department, resigned on May 27, hours after he was questioned by administrators.
“It was so offensive,” said Hubbard, “we had to take action. And we did.”
Buddy Boe, parish spokesman, said Fagot’s position was not a paid one, nor does he receive any benefits from the parish.
During a standing-room-only meeting Tuesday night, Councilman Richard “Dale” Wolfe read aloud the 100-word message, which compared African-Americans to love bugs and used a racial epithet to describe them.
“ ‘They stick together,’ ” said Wolfe, quoting the e-mail.
“We’re going to try to stick together,” he added.
After a spokeswoman from a concerned citizens’ committee read a statement asking parish officials to take action, Wolfe thanked parish administrators for already having done so.
“This should make us come together even closer,” he said. “If not, we’re going to catch hell in St. John the Baptist Parish.”
Some council members voiced concerns about the month-old e-mail message.
“I hope this is the beginning and the end,” said Councilman Haston Lewis Sr.
Fagot, reached at his home Tuesday, said he was not sure he sent the message.
“If I did it, it was accidental,” he said.
Fagot, who offered his apology, said he believes someone may have hacked into his e-mail service and sent the message.
Robert Taylor, president of the parish’s NAACP chapter, called Fagot’s resignation a “slap on the wrist.”
Copyright 2009 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company