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A significant development has emerged in the Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS) construction probe with the arrest of its former Director of Construction, Facilities, and Maintenance, Robert Gautreaux. Gautreaux was booked on felony charges of filing false public records and injuring public records. If you hadn’t noticed, prosecutions of these types of public record crimes are finally starting to become more mainstream.

Another One Bites the Dust

The arrest of Gautreaux comes after nearly a year of mounting scrutiny over how LPSS awarded mid-sized construction projects, many of which bypassed competitive public bidding but still required multiple quotes under district policy. Louisiana revised statute 38:2212(A)(1)(a) provides:

“All public work exceeding the contract limit as defined in this Section… shall be advertised and let by contract to the lowest responsible bidder who had bid according to the contract, plans, and specifications…”

As of 2025, the contract limit for mandatory competitive bidding is:

• $250,000 for public works (construction, alteration, etc.)
• $100,000 for materials and supplies

While the state doesn’t require formal bidding under $250,000, LPSS has internal procurement rules requiring:

• Three documented quotes for construction-related projects in the $50,000–$249,999 range.
• Evidence that the quotes are legitimate (usually via email, signed forms, or vendor letterhead).
• Compliance with vendor licensing requirements under Louisiana Revised Statute 37:2150, et seq. (Contractor’s Licensing Law).

It is alleged that Gautreaux forged vendor documents, manipulated internal records, and attempted to conceal these actions once suspicions were raised. But as damaging as the charges themselves are, it is the broader culture of blurred boundaries and poor oversight that now casts a long shadow over the school system’s top leadership.

Touchet and Gautreaux

Touchet and Gautreaux go together like red beans and rice. In November 2023, Gautreaux—then an agriscience teacher—was promoted to oversee construction, facilities, and maintenance across the district. His selection came shortly after the retirement of director Kyle Bordelon and raised questions, given Gautreaux’s lack of formal construction or project management credentials. Superintendent Francis Touchet, before being selected as the Executive for the school system, served as Associate Superintendent, which included oversight of the Construction, Facilities, and Maintenance Department.

By early 2024, audits conducted by a contracted licensed certified public accountant, as required by state law, uncovered irregularities in how quotes were obtained for projects between $50,000 and $249,999—a price range that allows work to proceed without formal public bidding but still requires three competitive quotes. It was alleged that several vendors listed in the LPSS files denied submitting bids, and some documents appeared suspiciously dated or typed in non-standard formats.

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The story took a dramatic turn in March 2025, when The Current reported that Superintendent Francis Touchet, Gautreaux, and contractor Butch Bergeron were all members—along with their spouses—of a Facebook group for passengers of a Carnival cruise that sailed from Galveston to Cozumel. Bergeron had received an estimated $3 million in no-bid LPSS contracts over the prior year. When asked directly whether he had vacationed with the contractor and his now-arrested subordinate, Touchet refused to confirm or deny it, stating only:

“I do not comment on my private time.”

He further claimed that he pays his own way and always separates personal expenses from district business.

The optics of the situation were widely criticized. For many in the public, the image of a school superintendent aboard a cruise ship with a favored vendor—especially one tied to allegedly forged bids—raised serious ethical concerns. Further, Touchet’s refusal to provide clarity has fueled ongoing calls for accountability and transparency.

Concerns Dismissed by Board Leadership

Back in Lafayette, the scandal continued to deepen. The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) launched an investigation after finding that Bosco Oilfield Services, an unlicensed company, performed drainage work at Charles Burke Elementary. To justify the contract, Gautreaux submitted multiple contractor quotes—two of which are alleged to be forgeries. One company owner, Josh Clements of Clements Construction, stated that his firm had never submitted any bids and said, “…they committed a felony.”

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In mid-June, LPSS placed Gautreaux and another employee on paid administrative leave. Shortly thereafter, the matter was turned over to the Lafayette Police Department, which initiated a criminal investigation. Despite this, Superintendent Touchet reassigned Gautreaux to his previous role teaching agriscience, effective July 1, cutting his annual salary from $104,000 to $85,000 but keeping him on the payroll.

During this period, School Board President Britt Latiolais dismissed concerns that the contractor was unlicensed or improperly selected. Latiolais actually encouraged Gautreaux to continue working with Bosco while the investigation was ongoing. Latiolais remarked that they:

“Didn’t need to be a contractor. There was nothing built…”

Breaking the Law… Breaking the Law…

Everything came to a head this week when Gautreaux was arrested and booked on two felony charges: injuring public records and filing false public records. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison per count, as well as fines. However, there could be additional law violations for Gautreaux to contend with.

Gautreaux remains an elected member of the St. Landry Parish School Board, which may constitute another potential violation of the law. The Dual Officeholding and Dual Employment laws prohibit an individual from concurrently holding an elective office and a full-time appointive office in a political subdivision of the state.

Louisiana revised statute 42:63(D) provides:

No person holding an elective office in a political subdivision of this state shall at the same time hold another elective office or full-time appointive office in the government of this state or in the government of a political subdivision thereof.

As such, Gautreaux should resign from his job or his elective position. Touchet hasn’t taken any reasonable action considering the mounting evidence against Gautreaux. It certainly seems like Gautreaux is being set up as the fall guy, with a potential deal brokered for his silence.

LPSS has stated that it will continue to cooperate with law enforcement. The Lafayette Police Department has confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing, and further interviews and evidence collection are expected.

What began as a routine audit has now evolved into a full-blown scandal—one that exposes deep-seated fractures in the ethical framework of the Lafayette Parish School System and the nature of those who chose to turn a blind eye.

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