Miller leaves Ville Platte High School

Melanie Miller Moore, principal of Ville Platte High School, is leaving the school after three years to assume similar duties at Helen Cox High School in Harvey effective January 6. Jefferson Parish Superintendent of Schools Cade Brumley announced the news to the school’s staff last Friday on December, 13.
“Ms. Moore is a stellar high school principal who has received nothing but stellar recommendations from individuals we have spoken with,” Brumley told a New Orleans television station. “We think this is a big win for Jefferson Parish and Helen Cox to be able to hire someone of her quality.”
The change of school venues for Moore comes amid allegations of sexual harassment of a student surrounding her husband, Larry Moore, who serves as choir director and digital media teacher at Ville Platte High School.
The allegations stem from an incident which allegedly began a month before the school’s homecoming on November 1. At that time, the student told her mother “she felt uncomfortable” being around Larry Moore because he allegedly was “invading her personal space.”
While in Larry Moore’s digital media class, the student said he would stand behind her and show her where to stand while making videos.”
According to the student’s mother, Larry Moore kicked the student out of his class for being disrespectful. The student was then suspended from one day of school on the week of homecoming. Then, on the day before homecoming, Larry Moore allegedly told the student to stop acting childish in class. The student then reportedly replied, “‘Well, at least I don’t sexually harass my students.”
Other students in the class heard this statement and reported it to the principal, Melanie Moore.
Administration of Ville Platte High told the mother they would look into the incident and turn the matter over to the Evangeline Parish School Board, however, no action was taken on the incident until a letter was sent to Arthur Sampson.
It was not until that time when the Ville Platte Police Department began its investigation, according to the student’s mother and Sampson.
Chief Neal Lartigue said this week his department has concluded its investigation and turned the matter over to the Evangeline Parish District Attorney’s Office for review. Findings will be released to the Ville Platte Gazette once the police department receives word back from the district attorney’s office.
However, according to a New Orleans television station, “The Moores’ attorney, Daniel Hughes, said police found no probable cause to arrest Larry Moore and have turned the case over to prosecutors in the 13th Judicial District.”
The television station continued, “Hughes said he doesn’t expect the district attorney to bring charges against Larry Moore, who is still teaching at Ville Platte High School. Asked why Melanie Moore would leave the school if her husband expects to be cleared of wrongdoing, Hughes said her new job will pay her more money, and she’s ready to put the matter behind her.”
“You don’t want to fight that in a small town,” Hughes told the New Orleans station.
In a statement to The Gazette, Hughes said, “First and foremost, all of these allegations are false, spurious, and malicious. They are being orchestrated by school board member Wanda Skinner who has a personal vendetta against Melanie Moore, who is the principal of Ville Platte High School, and Larry Moore, her husband.”
Superintendent Brumley told the New Orleans station he “was aware of Larry Moore’s situation when he hired Melanie Moore, but he would not say whether Melanie Moore disclosed the information.”
Melanie Moore, for the second time since being brought on as principal at Ville Platte High, is the Evangeline Parish Principal of the Year.
The Gazette reached out to Melanie Moore for a comment, however, no response was given.