Louisiana Voice

You may recall the LouisianaVoice STORY OF JULY 15 about the Department of Corrections official uttering the racial slur, including the use of the N-word, when he apparently thought his microphone was muted on a zoom call hosted by the Louisiana Department of Health.

We submitted a public records request on July 14 as to the status of any investigation and/or action to be taken by DOC over the matter. Four days later, we received the following email:

Please be advised that the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections is providing notification that Blake Leblanc (director of Mental Health for DOC) resigned effective today, July 18, 2025, therefore records pertaining to an investigation that did not result in discipline are confidential due to the employee’s right to privacy guaranteed by the Article I, Section 5 of the Louisiana Constitution, and are not subject to release.

No further comments regarding this matter will be made pursuant to the above statement.

Thanks,

Tif

Tiffany Dickerson
Communications Director
Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections
504 Mayflower Street | Baton Rouge, LA 70802

That’s it. No official apology on behalf of DOC for the offensive remark by one of its own, just a statement that he’d resigned. You’d think something would be forthcoming about how the agency does not condone such insensitivity and that it deeply regrets that it occurred and that it certainly does not reflect the attitude of DOC, yada, yada, yada.

But no, just that dismissive note from Tif that LeBlanc had resigned and that DOC was protecting the employee’s “right to privacy.”

In Ms. Dickerson’s defense, we’re pretty sure that’s all she was allowed to say as DOC quickly circled the wagons in hopes the controversy would go away with LeBlanc’s departure.