Ex-Iberville school board member arrested

Janice Anderson, a former member of the Iberville Parish School Board, was arrested on misdemeanor counts in the School Board’s Plaquemine office Monday after a brief tussle with police.

Anderson was part of a group that marched to the School Board office earlier that evening to demonstrate against the closing of North Iberville High School in Rosedale. Anderson was arrested about an hour after the heated 6 p.m. School Board meeting.

Anderson said she removed a picture of herself from a wall in the office hallway because she no longer wants to be associated with the School Board.

She said the School Board’s 8 to 7 vote April 21 to close North Iberville High School and send its 153 students 40 miles away to Plaquemine High in the fall, is one of the latest examples of how the School Board is failing to do right by parish children.

Plaquemine Police Department Detective Chad Fonseca and Officers Victor Hebert and Brian Guillot arrested Anderson and booked her on misdemeanor counts of resisting an officer, simple damage to property and remaining after forbidden.

Superintendent Ed Cancienne said the incident started when Anderson refused to put the picture down, ignored police orders to leave the building, and tried to remove the picture, which is School Board property, from its frame.

After her arrest, Anderson said she tried to defend herself against unnecessary police force as officers slammed her against a wall and hurt her arm.

Police Capt. Kenny Payne said his officers used enough force only to restrain Anderson and that his officers handled the situation properly.