I-TEAM: Superintendent of EBR Schools LaMont Cole indicted in sweeping corruption probe

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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - East Baton Rouge Parish School Superintendent Lamont Cole was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday on the eve of the school year starting, following summer break for East Baton Rouge students.

Cole is the latest official accused of corruption as Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s sweeping probe into Baton Rouge officials continues.

A grand jury formally charged Cole Wednesday with conspiracy to commit public bribery, money laundering, money laundering of $20,000 or more, and malfeasance in office.

Erica and Terral Jackson were also indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit public bribery and money laundering.

TRUE BILL

Count 1 - conspiracy to commit public bribery (Cole, Erica and Teral Jackson)
Count 2 - conspiracy to commit public bribery (Cole, Erica and Teral Jackson)
Count 3 - Money laundering (Erica and Teral Jackson)
Count 4 - Money laundering (Erica and Teral Jackson)
Count 5 - Money laundering $20k or more (Lamont Cole)
Count 6 - Money laundering (Lamont Cole)
Count 7 - Malfeasance in office (Lamont Cole)
Cole’s indictment Wednesday stems from his time as an East Baton Rouge Metro Councilman, and not his actions while working at the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.

Wednesday morning, Cole appeared live on WAFB 9News This Morning but declined to discuss the ongoing corruption investigation.

Before joining the school system in 2024, Cole served on the East Baton Rouge Metro Council for eight years. He was first elected in 2016 and was elected by his peers to serve as Mayor Pro Tem in January of 2021. Cole made history, being the first African American to fill that role.

So far, nine individuals have been charged in Murrill’s corruption probe, a coordinated effort between state and federal authorities.

Among the notable names: Councilman Cleve Dunn Jr., former Mayor Sharon Weston Broome’s right-hand Courtney Scott, and Pearlina Thomas, a former high-ranking official at the Baton Rouge bus system, CATS.

Councilman Cleve Dunn Jr. was indicted on nine felony counts in January of this year. His charges include public contract fraud, theft of over $25,000, criminal conspiracy, malfeasance in office, public bribery, money laundering, and prohibited splitting of profits, fees, or commissions.

The indictment alleges Dunn, along with Pearlina Thomas, Jay Colar, Teral Jackson, and Erica Jackson, conspired to steal public money through fraudulent conduct tied to CATS contracts, according to court records.

The following month, a grand jury also indicted Courtney Scott, the former Assistant Chief Administrative Officer to former Mayor Sharon Weston Broome. Scott is accused in an alleged kickback scheme involving city-parish contracts tied to the Mayor’s Safe Hopeful Healthy Initiative. That program was shut down when Mayor-President Sid Edwards took office last year.

Pearlina Thomas faces charges of criminal conspiracy, theft over $500, and malfeasance in office.

Earlier this year, Attorney General Liz Murrill told the I-TEAM that she is continuing to stamp out alleged corruption.

“Well, I can’t speak to the ongoing details of a continuing investigation, but what I will say is this...anybody who steals from government programs, we are going to go after them, and we’re going to try and hold them accountable,” Murrill said. “So it is illegal to defraud the government and defraud the people of this state of both the funds and the services that are intended through the proper use of these funds.”

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