To: Mayor Kevin Clement & The Thibodaux City Council
From: John Toups, Citizen of Thibodaux
Date: 8/5/2025
Subject: Public Records Request Regarding Safety Issues Raised on January 28, 2025
Background for This Request
On January 28, 2025, I delivered a formal letter and digital media (thumb drive) to City officials containing documented hazards to public safety within various Thibodaux parks and the Warren J. Harang Municipal Auditorium. This request seeks to determine the scope and timeliness of the City’s response to those disclosures.
Scope of This Request
Pursuant to the Louisiana Public Records Law (La. R.S. 44:1 et seq.), I am formally requesting copies of the following public records:
- Internal Correspondence and Communications
Emails, memos, text messages, or other communications between:
- The Mayor, City Council Members, and Department Heads
- Parks & Recreation Department
- City Attorney or Risk Management staff
Topics: Any mention of the January 28 safety disclosure, inspections, or response planning.
- Meeting Records
Agendas, minutes, sign-in sheets, audio/video recordings, or handwritten notes from any meetings—formal or informal—where the disclosed safety hazards were discussed.
- Include both scheduled council meetings and internal staff meetings.
- Follow-Up Actions
Safety inspection logs, reports, or checklists generated after January 28, 2025 related to:
- Individual parks
- Eagle Park
- Peltier Park
- Chiasson Park
- Martin Luther King Park
- Andolsek Park
- Adley Landry Park
- Warren J. Harang Center
- Maintenance work orders, project plans, or internal memos documenting planned or completed repairs/remediation.
- Timelines and Completion Targets
Any documents establishing:
- Anticipated dates for corrective action
- Actual completion dates of safety-related tasks
- Delays, reasons for inaction, or project prioritization documents
- Contractor or Consultant Involvement
Contracts, invoices, or communications with third-party inspectors, engineers, or consultants hired in response to the reported hazards. - Public Communication
Copies of any public-facing communication regarding safety actions taken, including:
- Press releases
- Website updates
- Social media posts
- Council meeting talking points or responses to citizen inquiries
- Criminal Liability for Altering Public Records
It is a felony offense in Louisiana to knowingly alter, falsify, or backdate a public document or record in connection with a public records request.
Under La. R.S. 14:132 – Injuring Public Records:
“Injuring public records is the intentional removal, mutilation, destruction, alteration, falsification, or concealment of any record, document, or other thing, filed or deposited… with any public office or with any public officer…”
Key Components of the Statute:
- “Intentional alteration” includes backdating or modifying a record to misrepresent the truth.
- Applies to documents submitted or generated in response to a public records request, including inspection logs, meeting minutes, or correspondence.
- Classified as a felony punishable by up to five years in prison with or without hard labor and a fine up to $5,000.
If any official or department modifies the public record after-the-fact to sanitize, conceal, or misrepresent a response to a FOIA/public records request—that act is not merely a clerical mistake, but a felony violation under Louisiana criminal law.
Format & Delivery
Please provide these records in digital format (PDF or scanned images preferred) delivered via email or cloud link. If physical copies are required, please inform me of any associated copying costs in advance.
Clarification of Legal Basis
This request is made under Louisiana Public Records Law (La. R.S. 44:1–44:41) which entitles citizens to inspect, copy, or obtain public records that document the performance or lack of performance of any governmental function. Failure to provide access may constitute a violation of state law and the public trust.
Delivery
Please respond within the three-day period required by state law. You may send digital copies of the requested records to johntoups@jwtoups.com, or notify me when they are available for in-person inspection.