To: Tommy Eschete, Mayor
Tell Mayor of Thibodaux to Fire Kevin Clement!
Thibodaux, LA's Director of Recreation blacked out of the faces of two African-American coaches in the Biddy Ball Tournament Program and called it a "printer error." Tell Mayor Tommy Eschete to fire Kevin Clement for this defamatory and deceitful act.
Why is this important?
What if the volunteers who dedicate their time to coach and mentor your kids had their faces blacked out by a city official in a tournament publication? That is what happened in March, when Kevin Clement, Director of Recreation for the City of Thibodaux, LA, digitally erased the faces of Kenneth Lacy and Chris Ward, from the photo they took with their team for publication in The Biddy All-Star Tournament. Clement emailed St. Charles officials from his official city email and stated that the absence of Lacy and Ward's faces was due to "printer error." An outraged parent from another team saw this altered photo after purchasing one at the tournament, and demanded answers.
Lacy and Ward's humiliation did not end there. When Lacy expressed his embarrassment and hurt to Mayor Tommy Eschete, a longtime friend of Clement, Mayor Eschete did nothing to remedy the harm caused to the two coaches' reputations or to the children and parents, who traveled from as far away as Finland for the tournament. They will always have the ugly reminder of the way two dedicated and invested black coaches were treated in a Louisiana Biddy Ball tournament publication. This act cannot do without redress!
Demand that Kevin be held accountable NOW!
Lacy and Ward's humiliation did not end there. When Lacy expressed his embarrassment and hurt to Mayor Tommy Eschete, a longtime friend of Clement, Mayor Eschete did nothing to remedy the harm caused to the two coaches' reputations or to the children and parents, who traveled from as far away as Finland for the tournament. They will always have the ugly reminder of the way two dedicated and invested black coaches were treated in a Louisiana Biddy Ball tournament publication. This act cannot do without redress!
Demand that Kevin be held accountable NOW!