Louisiana Voice

Reports from a source with knowledge of the situation has described to LouisianaVoice what he describes as “serious problems” with the Louisiana State Police (LSP) Crime Lab, specifically the DNA Unit within the confines of the crime lab.

The “serious problems” he cited involve low morale, employee turnover and work backlog, all brought about by what he termed discriminatory practices on the part of the department’s new unit manager.

The source also described what he termed as a “hostile workplace and blatant racial discrimination, which is rampant all over State Police.”

His complaints have taken on new meaning with the filing of a federal discrimination LAWSUIT.

against LSP by two retired African American troopers who say they “and other similarly-situated black and minority employees” were repeatedly denied promotions that went to lesser-qualified white fellow troopers.

John Edward Childers and Anthony Pitts said they and other minority LSP employees in past years were provided “little or no reasons” for their promotion denials.

Childers retired at the rank of Master Trooper on May 15, 2020, and Pitts, a Captain in the Recruiting and Public Affairs Division, retired from LSP on Feb. 15, 2019.

Pitts began his LSP career in 1990 and Childers started in 1992.

Throughout their combined careers of nearly 60 years, Childers and Pitts “have been victims of employment discrimination and have observed that Black troopers receive harsher discipline and are denied more promotions than” their white counterparts,” their petition, filed in U.S. District Court’s Middle District in Baton Rouge, says.

Childers were promoted to Sergeant in the Indian Gaming Section of LSP in September 2001 but five years later was demoted back to Master Trooper and transferred to the Detectives Division with the Bureau of Investigation after being accused of an inappropriate relationship with a casino employee during business hours, though he has denied he was working at the time.

He subsequently applied for five different sergeant positions in various departments but each time, a white applicant, who he said in each case possessed lesser qualifications, was promoted ahead of him. “Some of those employees had significant disciplinary histories and/or had fewer years of law enforcement experience,” the lawsuit said.

When he inquired into the reason he was being passed over, he was told by Troop I Commander Capt. (now Major) Wayne Vidrine that it was because Childers had a “prior disciplinary history” that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Brady v. Maryland should he ever be asked to testify at trial. The lawsuit says Vidrine told him his disciplinary history could implicate his credibility and reliability as a witness.

One of those promoted over him, Lt. John Cannon, a white trooper who while still holding the rank of trooper, was disciplined “at least once” for having sexual intercourse with a woman in the backseat of his patrol car and was also involved in the theft of internet or cable services, the suit claims. “Unlike Childers, Lt. Cannon’s discipline did not include a demotion,” it added.

Actually, a Oct. 4, 2015, STORY by LouisianaVoice indicates that Cannon twice had sex with the woman on two occasions. The woman told West Feliciana Parish sheriff’s deputies that she had exchanged sex for money with Cannon. The only discrepancy in Childers’ claim was that Cannon held the rank of trooper at the time. In reality, he had been promoted to lieutenant in August 2010.

But Childers were correct in asserting that Cannon was not demoted, though he did get a 36-hour suspension without pay and a $904.96 per pay period reduction in pay for nine two-week pay periods.

Other white troopers promoted over Childers, the lawsuit says, include:

Lt. Jude Matthews, disciplined for “the same and/or similar infractions” as that of Childers;

Lt. Shannon Lavergne, while holding the rank of trooper, was arrested for driving while intoxicated and was subsequently promoted first to sergeant, then to lieutenant.

Lt. Lanny Bergeron, while a trooper, was arrested for domestic batter and subsequently promoted first to sergeant, then to lieutenant.

Sgt. Travis Colombel, while still a trooper, was arrested in March 2010 for malfeasance in office but in October 2018, was promoted to the rank of sergeant.

“Childers has never been arrested and did not have disciplinary histories as extensive as Matthews, Lavergne, Bergeron or Colombel,” the lawsuit said. “Nevertheless (he) was denied 24 promotions.”

Moreover, he said his placement on the so-called “Brady List” was used as a device to deny him promotions for 14 years.

Pitts likewise applied twice for the position of Major but was passed over in favor of what the lawsuit says were “less-qualified white LSP employees, namely Darrin Naquin and Vidrine.

Pitts had 16 years of supervisory experience and was a graduate of the prestigious Northwestern University Center for Public Safety, Staff and Command School in Evanston, Illinois. “It is believed that Maj. Vidrine had not attended any such schools at the time,” the suit says, adding, “It is further believed that Maj. Darrin Naquin (now retired) was once the captain/commander of Troop C and was subsequently involuntarily transferred to Troop N as the commander for disciplinary reasons.”

Pitts also applied for a third major position in LSP’s Gaming Division as well as an office at LSP headquarters but was again passed over in favor of white applicants. “Some of these [white] employees [who were promoted over Pitts] had significant disciplinary histories and/or fewer years of law enforcement experience than Pitts.”

Both men, represented by Baton Rouge attorney J. Arthur Smith, III, say that their denials of promotions cost them considerable money in potential salary increases that would’ve gone with promotions.

The individual who lodged his informal complaint with LouisianaVoice said, “The Crime Lab is considered the crown jewel of the State Police operation and the DNA Unit is the crown jewel of the crime lab.”

The current manager is Erica Sparacino, the former training officer. “She was the least experienced of the candidates for the position,” he said, “which was vacated when former manager Joanie Brocato was forced out (on February 24, 2019), in part due to a pending lawsuit.  Brocato made a soft landing into another position (first at the Louisiana Department of Hospital’s Office of Public Health on February 25, 2019, and on Jan. 14, 2020, as a professor at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans) and helped choose her replacement, as she is connected to a high-level lieutenant colonel from the previous administration. It seems that during the time that Erica Sparacino (a former crime lab analysist) was the training officer, no minority employees made it through training and probation.  So, there are few, if any, Blacks working in the DNA lab.”

He said it is “very hard to find people to work in the DNA Lab, who are qualified and who can pass the background check. It’s very expensive to train new staff, and the turnover is high. The DNA unit once had a huge backlog and worked hard to eliminate it. There is now a big backlog of cases once again, in large part due to being understaffed.”  

Like Childers and Pitts, the LouisianaVoice source cited several Sparacino promotions of individuals who were appointed over better-qualified and longer-tenured employees. Erica’s trainees who work in the DNA Lab are neurotic and unable to cope with the demands of the job, both men and women,” he said. “There has been a huge turnover since she became the manager. The technical leader recently left after 15 years in the lab, and several other highly experienced people have also left.”