ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — A group of concerned residents in St. Tammany Parish are spearheading an effort to recall the parish’s new coroner Dr. Christopher Tape.
Family First St. Tammany is the group forging the recall, led by resident and nurse practitioner and doctor of Nurse Education, Dr. Jean Erickson Cefalu.
A political committee will have to be formed to collect more than 37,000 signatures from certified voters or about 20% of the parish’s 188,000 registered voters in St. Tammany to trigger a recall election.
Dr. Cefalu explained in a statement released Monday, saying:
“The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for the good people to do nothing”. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Dr. Jean Erickson Cefalu. I am a full-time nurse practitioner and hold a PhD in Nursing Education. I have lived in St. Tammany Parish since 1971. While most of us were busy working and caring for our families, Christopher Tape was worming his way into the coroner’s office unchallenged. This was made possible by a group of bad actors posing as concerned citizens to relentlessly harass, attack, and defame our elected officials to the point that good people are not willing to run for office in St. Tammany Parish. Why would anyone subject their families to that type of ridicule harassment and abuse?
St Tammany Parish is our home. We will defend our home. Family First St. Tammany was formed out of necessity, to educate and protect the families of St. Tammany Parish from sexual predators. Family First St. Tammany is on Facebook and easily found. Family First St Tammany contains all relevant media coverages of the newly sworn in, Coroner Tape. Christopher Tape admits to the sexual abuse by his own words. What kind of pathetic individual disciplines a child “for no particular reason” by whipping them with a belt, making them pose in sexually suggestive positions while rubbing their private areas?
A 7-year-old child does not know and should not know about sexual contact. Sexual trauma perpetrated in childhood brings a lifetime sentence of nightmares, fear and guilt—commonly known as PTSD. It is no wonder that 72% of all sexual assaults go unreported and less than one half of one percent of perpetrators ever see jail time. Adult and child victims of sexual assaults fear reporting. Why? Either no one will believe them, or others, as we have seen played out in the media, will flip the script, and blame the victim. Victoria Lobato is a childhood sexual assault survivor, and she IS telling the truth. I know this because I am also a survivor of childhood sexual assault. This recall is personal—to myself, and to my high school classmate, friend, and chairwoman of this recall Cheryl Roussel Martinez. Cheryl and I share many similarities. We are both sexual assault survivors, teachers, mothers, and now grandmothers. Most importantly, we are strong women and demand moral integrity of our elected officials. Please help us recall St. Tammany Parish Coroner, Christopher “Topher” Tape.
This comes as Tape took office Monday on his first day as St. Tammany Parish coroner. Controversy surrounds Tape who was indicted in 2002 for allegedly sexually assaulting a 7-year-old child but was dropped by the judge for taking too long to prosecute. Part of Tape’s duties as coroner is reporting and investigating sexual abuse claims.
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