2 Former Lafayette Charter School Employees Arrested In Payroll Fraud Investigation

A former employee of Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy has been arrested as a months-long investigation into alleged payroll fraud involving public funds continues.

UPDATE:

A second former employee has been arrested as well. According to KPEL News, Marva Williams, 49, who worked as the school’s regional school operations administrator, was booked late Monday on charges of public payroll fraud, theft and forgery.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Shameka D. Bazile, 40, a former administrative assistant at Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy's lower campus, was arrested late Monday on charges of public payroll fraud, theft and forgery.

Bazile's attorney, Kevin Stockstill, confirmed to The Current that his client turned herself in. Lafayette Parish Correctional Center records showed her bail was set at $15,000.

The arrest marks a significant development in an investigation that became public after alleged payroll irregularities were discovered at the Lafayette charter school.

What Investigators Found At Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy

The Lafayette Police Department launched a criminal investigation earlier this year after an internal review at LRCA uncovered what Charter Schools USA described as possible falsification of time records, improper payroll entries and unauthorized compensation payments.

Charter Schools USA provides management services to the organization that governs LRCA.

According to records obtained and reported by The Current, the internal investigation identified what were described as repetitive and uniform substitute time entries, suspicious changes to employee timecards and work schedules that appeared inconsistent with two employees attending colleges outside the area.

Investigators were also reviewing bonus and stipend payments made to administrative employees, including whether proper documentation, authorization and approval existed for those payments.

The allegations are significant because Louisiana charter schools receive taxpayer funding, largely based on student enrollment, despite operating independently from traditional public school districts.

Investigation Previously Led To Employees Losing Jobs

The internal investigation had already resulted in major personnel changes at the school before Bazile's arrest.

Bazile was among four employees who were terminated following the review. The school's principal, Clovis Benoit, was also removed.

According to records cited by The Current, Benoit was not found to have been directly involved in the alleged payroll misconduct. However, he was responsible for the school's day-to-day oversight.

Two of the substitute teachers involved were relatives of Bazile and Regional School Operations Administrator Marva A. Williams.

The Current reported that the two substitutes, both college students, said they did not know their names were allegedly being used to submit time records indicating they had worked on days when they were not present. Both submitted resignations during the internal investigation.

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Bazile Addressed Time Records In Written Statement

In a written statement obtained by The Current through a public records request, Bazile said she accepted responsibility for recording hours for her relative that she assumed had been approved.

Bazile also said she was willing to repay money her relative received for the substitute position and maintained that the relative was not responsible for her actions.

She said she had never previously been written up or disciplined and maintained that she never intentionally set out to do anything wrong.

Williams also provided a written statement during the school's investigation. After The Current contacted her for comment, Williams sent the news outlet a cease-and-desist letter accusing it of defamation and demanding it stop publishing what she described as false statements.

Lafayette Police Investigation Continues

Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy's lower campus is located on Vienne Lane near Pont des Mouton Road and serves students from kindergarten through fourth grade.

The school previously turned the findings of its internal investigation over to law enforcement. Lafayette Police had said the investigation was nearing a conclusion and that the school was cooperating.

Bazile's arrest is the latest development, but the information released so far does not establish whether additional arrests or charges are expected.

The case remains under investigation. Charges are accusations, and Bazile is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.