NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell doggedly defended her embattled director of the city's communication district in her weekly press conference Wednesday.
Tyrell Morris has tendered his resignation effective September 15 of this year but the city council's president and vice-president have called for him to be suspended immediately after being involved in a crash in a taxpayer-provided vehicle. It's alleged that Morris then changed a policy that he set to make it seem that he didn't have to submit to an alcohol test after the crash. The policy was changed four days after the accident in May, but prior to that change, the policy stated that all crashes involving communications district vehicles required the employee to submit a drug and alcohol test.
Loyola Law Professor Blaine LeCesne said our well-documented findings exposed egregious violations by Morris. And he said he can't understand why Morris is not being removed, immediately.
“If there ever was a clear case of a public official abusing their authority and seeking preferential treatment for themselves and averting their legal obligations upon which we are all required to follow, this is that case,” LeCesne said.
He reviewed the evidence we gathered, including the video of Morris, sitting at a red light in the middle lane, in his taxpayer funded vehicle at 10:40 at night, with a car waiting in the right lane. The light turns green and Morris veers right, into the other car.
Then there’s Morris' accident report, filed as part of an insurance claim, depicting the other car coming up behind him and swerving around him to the right and hitting him.
“That is a public record that contains a false material misrepresentation,” LeCesne said. “If it was intentionally designed to mislead, ultimately the liability insurers that are involved in resolving this as to who has to pay the damages to whom, that's another … act that has criminal implications.”
We also showed LeCesne the document metadata that Morris himself changed a 2019 policy on May 11, 2023, four days after the crash, to make it look like he didn't need to submit to an alcohol and drug test unless there had been injuries reported.
“It's not the violation itself; it's the attempt to cover it up,” LeCesne said. “That is the bigger offense and one that has criminal implications.”
LeCesne said the changes to the records could violate a criminal statute called injuring public records.
But at a news conference Wednesday, Cantrell was steadfast that Morris should not be suspended while under investigation.
She had a few testy exchanges about it with WWL-TV Investigative Reporter David Hammer. (see his report in the video below)
David Hammer: Given that the law that's cited by the members of the city council has to do with a crime, do you think that it's wise to keep him on and not suspend him? Would you do that with another employee who is alleged to have committed a crime?
Mayor Cantrell: Well, what I will say is that these are allegations and that is why an investigation is warranted. An investigation will take place and we will deal with that at that time. But allegations are allegations, and I'm very clear that they're not always accurate.
David Hammer: In spite of the video and the documents?
Mayor Cantrell: So, in regards to that, and again, those are allegations, I have not looked at them.
Cantrell said the issue is really one for the Communications District board. The chair is her director of Homeland Security, John Thomas.
But Cantrell balked when Hammer said he wanted to ask Thomas, who was standing a few feet to the mayor’s right.
David Hammer: So I'd like to ask him the question.
Mayor Cantrell: What's the question?
David Hammer: Regarding the decision regarding the letter received from the City Council and their request for a suspension...
Mayor Cantrell: Sure.
David Hammer: ... from the board, please.
Mayor Cantrell: Sure. He'll echo exactly what I've just indicated.
And that's exactly what Thomas did. Hammer asked him why he isn't suspended pending the investigation, and he just said, they would cooperate with the Inspector General's investigation.
As we investigated Morris' accident and the public records that appear to be altered by him, we kept hearing another question: Why does Morris wear a uniform that looks like a New Orleans Police chief?
He wears a badge that looks like an NOPD badge, except it has a fleur-de-lis under the crescent instead of a star. He also wears four stars on his shoulders like a police chief would. No previous director of the Orleans Parish Communications District has worn a badge and uniform.
Hammer also pressed Cantrell about that at the news conference.
David Hammer: He wears a badge. Is that an NOPD badge he wears with four stars? Are those part of an NOPD uniform?
Mayor Cantrell: Are you being funny right now?
David Hammer: No, I'm asking is that a New Orleans Police....
Mayor Cantrell: He's not a New Orleans Police Department officer. Is that what you're asking?
David Hammer: He wears a badge when he testifies and shows up at official events.
Mayor Cantrell: Yeah, because he's a part of our public safety team. So, thank you so much.
That ended the news conference.
