By Malcolm Butler
Lincoln Parish Police Jury juror Skip Russell met with and apologized to LPPJ Administrator Doug Postel Friday, just over a week after Russell had asked Postel to submit his resignation in a closed-door meeting.
“As a Christian individual, I don’t want to have a hand in hurting anyone,” said Russell Friday evening. “So I went by to see him, and I went by and apologized for what has happened and that this has blown up.”
Word circulated Wednesday and Thursday that a vote may be requested at the upcoming Lincoln Parish Police Jury meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 13 in an effort to vote Postel out of office. However, the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting was released Friday and the vote is not on the agenda.
“There were a number of issues police jurors have about what’s going on in the police jury office,” said Russell Friday. “Those jurors and a number of citizens have come to me to tell me. I was asked by the group if I would have a conversation with Doug, and I wish I never had because much of the information they gave me is, for me, unsubstantiated.”
Postel said he appreciated Russell’s apology, but that the entire situation was far from resolved in his mind.
“I did meet with Mr. Russell today, and he extended a verbal apology which I accepted,” said Postel. “I appreciate his gesture. However, irreparable harm has been done to myself and my family. I asked him for a written public apology, and I also asked him to reveal the names of the individuals who put him up to this.
“He told me he could not reveal those names, and he would have to think where he could give me a written apology. This matter is not settled.”
That closed-door meeting last week went public earlier this week when a letter that was signed by jurors Logan Hunt, Glenn Scriber, TJ Cranford and Matt Pullin was sent to Russell and the remainder of the LPPJ jurors questioning the tactics. The letter was shared with local media outlets.
“I could not be more disappointed with the situation at hand and with anyone involved in these efforts to quietly secure Doug’s resignation without presenting sufficient cause or evidence of wrongdoing,” said Hunt in a statement to the Lincoln Parish Journal Wednesday.
Russell admitted Wednesday and reiterated Friday that he did not have any documented evidence against Postel and that he based his decision to meet with him last week on information from other jurors and at the request of those jurors.
“I don’t have documentation,” said Russell on Friday. “ I don’t have (anything) substantiated, and I’m working on that. I’ve gone back to the people who gave me info. I’ve asked them, ‘if you’re serious about this, put it in writing. Give me some documentation.’ But I don’t have that yet. But I apologized to Doug because I know he and his family have gone through tough times, and that’s not what we had in mind.”
Russell reiterated in the phone conversation with the LPJ Friday that he would not provide the names of the jurors who asked him to meet with Postel.
“There were five,” said Russell. “I didn’t ask permission to use their name, but I will. There were five different jurors who actually – again, I didn’t do the research. I didn’t call jurors, but I had strong indications from the five that there were eight jurors who were ready to make a change. Now, when everybody did a big call out some of those jurors changed their mind under pressure – under duress.”
According to Postel and the letter sent by Hunt, Russell had communicated to Postel last week that members of the police jury had met with the district attorney’s office about allegations associated with Postel and his job as the LPPJ administrator. The DA’s office officially denied Wednesday that the meeting ever took place. On Friday, Russell said the meeting with the DA may not have been about Postel.
“No,” said Russell. “But I got the impression that that was part of the discussion. That’s what I understood. I don’t think they said, ‘And we talked about Doug Postel,’ but I got the impression from their visit that was one of the things they talked about. I recently learned that was not one of the things they talked about. But that’s what I believed.”
When asked if he felt he had been misled by some fellow jurors, Russell responded.
“I could have been,” Russell said. “I don’t think everything that came to me has turned out to be the way I understood it. I understood it differently.”
A voicemail was left both Wednesday and Friday for Lincoln Parish Police Jury President Richard Durrett for his comments about the situation, but the Lincoln Parish Journal has not heard back as of press time late Friday night.
