Civil lawsuit filed against Carencro Middle principal
Amanda McElfresh
amcelfresh@theadvertiser.com
The principal of Carencro Middle School is facing a civil lawsuit accusing him of harassing and making unwanted advanced toward a former teacher at the school.
This is the second such suit filed against Spurgeon Banyard since last year.
The latest suit was filed Monday in district court by Sandra Stevens, a former special education instructor at Carencro Middle.
In the suit, Stevens also alleges that she filed complaints about Banyard to former Lafayette Parish Superintendent Pat Cooper, but Banyard was not disciplined.
The suit states that the alleged harassment took place for about six months, ending in January 2014.
According to the suit, Stevens received a distressing phone call in August 2013 about a medical issue. With Banyard's permission, Stevens left school for the day. A couple of days later, Stevens said, she asked Banyard what she should do if the medical issue required her to be absent frequently. Banyard allegedly told Stevens that in that situation, he would want her to resign from the school.
"Later the same day, Banyard entered Plaintiff's classroom and stated: 'I don't think you are used to working. You were at Moss Prep (N.P. Moss Preparatory) and you did not have to work hard; but you are staying here. Banyard left Plaintiff's classroom without allowing Plaintiff to ask any questions or allowing her to respond to his accusations," the suit reads.
Later that same afternoon, Banyard allegedly approached Stevens, smiling. Stevens asked Banyard about his earlier behavior.
"Banyard continued smiling, then chuckled, then told Plaintiff he was glad to have her on his team and that he brought her to Carencro Middle for a reason: 'These boys need something to look at,'' Banyard stated," according to the suit. "Banyard then declared: 'Man, there is something about you that I like.' Banyard proceeded to tell Plaintiff that he liked the ways she smelled. Without warning, Banyard grabbed Plaintiff's hand, kissed it, and walking away, declared: 'I need to stay away from you!"
In subsequent alleged incidents, Banyard allegedly asked Stevens to go out for drinks with him. Stevens said she refused the requests, telling Banyard she did not go anywhere without her husband.
"Between October 2, 2013 and October 23, 2013, every time Banyard saw Plaintiff in the hallway, he ogled and gawked at her," the suit continues. "He commented on how she looked and smelled, and he stated: 'I need to stay away from you.'"
Beginning in October 2013, and lasting for a period of several weeks, Banyard allegedly asked Stevens repeatedly when he could go to her home. Stevens repeatedly refused his questions. He also allegedly tried to tickle her when she was working in the school's copy room.
By January 2014, Stevens had decided to leave Carencro Middle, and informed Banyard that she wanted to leave her position. Banyard allegedly said Stevens was "like a spoiled child" and told her she would not get another job in the parish.
In the suit, Stevens wrote that she met with Cooper and other district officials about her concerns. Officials responded that they did not find that Banyard had violated any board policy or state law.
Stevens is seeking unspecified damages.
When reached Wednesday morning, Banyard said he did not know anything about Stevens' suit.
"This is the first I'm hearing of it," he said. "No one has contacted me."
Banyard said Stevens "was not working out" in her position at Carencro Middle, and requested a transfer to another school. Stevens is now a special education teacher at Broussard Middle.
"She wanted a transfer and the parish granted it. For me, that was the end of the story," Banyard said.
Last year, Ada Thomas, a former Carencro Middle administrator, filed a civil lawsuit against Banyard, alleging that he verbally abused her, humiliated her and made unwanted advances on multiple occasions. That suit still is pending in district court.
Since 2003, Banyard has worked as an administrator in eight different schools, mostly in his native Mississippi. Some parents and administrators elsewhere have lauded Banyard as a strong disciplinarian who brought needed change to struggling schools by working directly with students. But in at least one stint, at Moss Point High School in Mississippi, Banyard was reportedly fired amid accusations of abuse and general poor conduct.
Banyard was fired after one year as the Moss Point principal, and during a subsequent employment hearing, several colleagues raised allegations of bullying, extortion, insubordination and abuse of authority, according to media accounts of the weeks-long proceedings.
When Banyard met with Carencro Middle parents shortly after taking over at the school, he told them that "everything you read is not true," adding that any past difficulties have made him a stronger person.