Files Charged Against Gullatt: https://bit.ly/3ClJYYY
School Board President Arrested: https://bit.ly/35ERzpM
Gullatt resigns as school board president: https://bit.ly/3hVF9Mw
By T. Scott Boatright
The Lincoln Parish School Board added both old and new during an eight-minute meeting held Tuesday night to name a new board president and District 3 representative following the resignation of David Gullatt.
Gullatt, 72, of Simsboro, was arrested Friday on charges of obscenity, possession of methamphetamine, and introduction of contraband into a penal institution.
Lincoln Parish Schools Superintendent Ricky Durrett confirmed Gullatt’s resignation on Monday.
During Tuesday’s School Board meeting, former LPSB President Joe Mitcham, the District 6 representative, was the only person nominated in a motion made by David Ferguson (District 2) before Otha Anders (District 10) moved to close the nomination process, with District 5 representative Danny Hancock seconding Anders’ motion.
And with that, Mitcham once again became LPSB president.
Gullatt, a former dean of the College of Education at Louisiana Tech University, was elected president of the LPSB in January. He replaced Mitcham, who headed the board from Jan. 2016 – Jan. 2022.
Ten LPSB representatives were on hand at the School Board Central Office for the vote with District 8 representative Lisa Best listening in via speakerphone.
The LPSB then unanimously moved to replace Gullatt’s open District 3 seat in a motion made by Donna Doss (District 4) and seconded by Hunter Smith (District 7) to appoint Clark Canterbury to fill that role until the next election for that seat is held in October.
While admitting he didn’t expect to join the LPSB at this time and in this fashion, Canterbury said it was something he had previously considered.
“It was something I considered even before the past election,” Canterbury said. “But at the time I just felt that Mr. Gullatt was more qualified and that he’d be a good person to fill the role, knowing that I could eventually try to make it happen.”
