Local leader claims changing New Sarpy boundary was racial discrimination
The St. Charles Parish Council may have decided to keep the New Sarpy and Destrehan boundaries where they are, but for Rev. Albert Bailey, the fight is far from over.
Bailey, who is the president of the parish’s chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said that the national organization already has a legal team in place and will likely file suit against the parish next month after he meets with group officials in Memphis, Tenn.
Bailey has joined numerous New Sarpy residents who say a boundary change in 2000, which moved the New Sarpy boundary line from Schexnaydre Lane to the rear property line of Ormond Meadows Drive, drastically affected the community.
“That took 3,000 citizens out of New Sarpy – 90 percent of them were white – and put them in Destrehan,” Bailey said. “Moving the boundary signs changed the racial makeup of New Sarpy.”
Before the move, Bailey said that 80 percent of New Sarpy’s citizens were white and 20 percent were black. Now, Bailey said that 52 percent of the communities’ citizens are black and 48 percent are white.
“Clearly, that is racial discrimination for someone to do something like that,” he said.
Councilwoman Carolyn Schexnaydre, who on July 20 sponsored the failed ordinance to return New Sarpy to what she said is the historical boundary line – Brown’s Curve on River Road – said she believes that the SCLC has a right to sue the parish on behalf of New Sarpy residents.
Schexnaydre and Councilman Billy Raymond were the only two council members who voted for the boundary change.
“I always go with the majority, and at the council meeting, almost everyone that spoke was for restoring the historical boundary,” she said. “It should have never been moved in the first place and I think they have the right to file suit.”
Schexnaydre said at the meeting that the her ordinance would have had no affect on schools, recreation, voting districts, home assessments or addresses.
But Ormond Civic Association President Mark Tienvieri, who said that all the Ormond residents he heard from were against the ordinance, said that if the boundary line was changed it would affect demographic statistics and lower home values. He also said that 911 service would be impacted because records would have to be updated.
Councilwoman Wendy Benedetto, who represents Ormond, said that no one in her district asked her to support the boundary change.
“I have a child who has grown up in Destrehan and all he knows it to be is Destrehan, just like those who have grown up in New Sarpy have always known it as New Sarpy,” she said.
But Bailey and many New Sarpy residents said that the Ormond residents who moved into their community when it was still a part of New Sarpy shouldn’t be allowed to be a part of Destrehan now.
“The council vote is something we expected,” Bailey, who is going to ask all New Sarpy residents to stop doing business in Ormond, said. “Now, we are going to sue the parish to put the boundary back to its original location.”
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