Elton Mayor Kesia Lemoine of Louisiana is facing backlash after engaging in a physical altercation with a resident at a council meeting. Video footage shows Lemoine arguing with the woman before being restrained by others. Lemoine has also been accused of hitting a bystander’s cellphone. The incident occurred during a tense meeting that began with discussions on the budget and grants. Lemoine has been cited for battery. This incident comes as Lemoine’s son was recently arrested for assault. Critics are also seeking to remove Lemoine from office due to allegations of corruption in the mayoral election. A petition to recall Lemoine has been launched following the viral video. Ishita Srivastava reported
The mayor of Elton, Louisiana, Kesia Lemoine, is facing backlash and criticism after engaging in a heated altercation with a local resident during a council meeting. Video footage captured the incident, showing Lemoine and an unidentified woman arguing inside a meeting room. Lemoine can be seen angrily leaving the room while shouting at the woman, before being restrained by other citizens. The woman responds by screaming at Lemoine, telling her to keep her hands off of her and expressing her intention to press charges. Despite attempts by onlookers to keep them apart, the altercation escalates until a police officer intervenes and escorts the woman out of city hall, all the while she continues yelling at Lemoine.
In a separate incident, Lemoine allegedly struck a cellphone out of the hands of Heidi Newell, who was recording the altercation. The Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office has cited Lemoine for battery. Newell, a former town employee who was unexpectedly fired by Lemoine, described the incident as chaotic and expressed her desire for a mayor who will act with honesty and integrity.
The confrontation during the council meeting began when the discussion shifted to the topic of grants. Lemoine was asked about a grant writer named Carl Capone and whether he had been fired. Lemoine responded by stating that they were discussing the budget and accused the woman of being off-topic and out of order. The council then inquired about Capone’s employment status, and Lemoine revealed that he had left due to being lied to by two individuals.
Tensions continued to rise as Lemoine questioned the motives of the woman who had asked about Capone. The focus then shifted to Lemoine’s salary, with the mayor accusing council members of being overly concerned about her pay. As the arguments escalated, Lemoine emphasized the need for transparency, leading to the heated exchange captured in the viral video.
Lemoine defended her actions, claiming that the edited video did not show the initial threats made against her and her family by someone present in the room. She explained that her response was driven by her maternal instinct and her desire to protect her loved ones. Lemoine also expressed remorse for her actions, acknowledging that as the mayor, she is held to a higher standard and should not have allowed the situation to escalate.
This incident is not the first involving members of Lemoine’s family. Her son, Marcus Lemoine Jr., was arrested for assaulting a man named Roderick Williams at a carwash in Elton in June 2023. Marcus initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to no contest during a trial in September. He was sentenced to six months of supervised probation and fined $500, plus court costs. It is unclear if Williams is the same individual who threatened Mayor Lemoine during the council meeting.
The controversy surrounding Mayor Lemoine extends beyond these incidents. A petition was launched to strip her of her title following allegations of corruption in the last mayoral election. An investigation discovered numerous instances of voters claiming homestead exemptions in other parishes, registering to vote using vacant lots, or using addresses of non-existent homes. Roderick Williams, the whistleblower in the case, believes that the attack by Marcus Lemoine Jr. was in retaliation for exposing the corruption and initiating the petition. Although the petition was ultimately rejected, a new one has been launched in light of the viral video, calling for Lemoine’s removal from office..