Louisiana Attorney General sues Baker council members for violating Open Meetings Law

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a lawsuit against the City of Baker and several of its council members, accusing them of violating the Open Meetings Law.

According to the lawsuit, a citizen filed a complaint against the Baker City Council to Murrill, stating they denied the public’s right to offer comments during a March 3, 2025, special meeting. The council members were also accused of having an improper agenda and wrongfully conducting executive sessions, which violates the state’s Open Meetings Law.

A special meeting was held to discuss City Attorney Ken Fabre’s qualifications for the position.

The lawsuit states that a vague item was listed for the meeting’s agenda: “Executive Session to discuss personnel matters.” It did not describe the issues being addressed specifically. The council performed an investigation and made findings in an executive session.

Final action was taken without proper procedure, violating laws that prohibit final decisions in closed sessions.

Murrill is requesting that all actions taken during the March 3 meeting be voided, an injunction be issued requiring the City of Baker and the council to comply with Louisiana law, and for the city to cover the Attorney General’s attorney fees.

The defendants listed in the lawsuit include the City of Baker, Mayor Darnell Waites, and council members Desiree Collins, Rochelle Dunn, Cedric Murphy, Charles Vincent, and Robert Young.

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