ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — Jean Cefalu walked outside the Secretary of State’s office in Baton Rouge Tuesday and became the first person to sign her name to a recall petition.
"We have been waiting and planning," said Cefalu. "It’s been very busy, but we’re excited to get this show on the road."
After filing the necessary paperwork, organizers and volunteers with Family First St. Tammany can now start collecting signatures to try to remove Dr. Christoper Tape as the parish coroner.
"The recall is on, and we will be recalling him," said Cefalu, who is also the co-chair of Family First St. Tammany.
It'll take just more than 35,000 signatures of registered, active voters in St. Tammany Parish to trigger a recall election. Cefalu hopes to collect upwards of about 38,000, which organizers hope will be more than enough.
"If we can strategically target certain organizations who want to be hands-on, and a lot of women’s groups, I agree, it should be fairly easy, "said Family First St. Tammany volunteer Noble-Bates Young
Tape was unopposed when he was elected coroner last Fall. After the election, WWL Louisiana investigator David Hammer exposed decades-old child sexual assault charges against him in New Mexico. Tape never went on trial because time ran out for a speedy trial, and he was not convicted of a crime.
"Where there’s smoke, there’s fire and the fire has already been started," said Cefalu.
Like Cefalu, community members and elected leaders questioned whether Tape should hold the position and called for his resignation. Tape refused to step down and avoided questions when he took office last month.
Since part of Tape’s duty is to report and investigate sexual abuse claims, Cefalu says his push to end the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program and stop being the lead agency for sexual assault cases for Region Nine were also concerning.
"The coroner’s job is so much more than just doing an autopsy," said Cefalu. "This is a person who has immense amounts of power."
Cefalu, a sexual abuse survivor, knows there’s a lot of work to do. Organizers are raising money and say volunteers and businesses are already stepping up to collect signatures.
"Some local businesses have said leave a binder here we will be what we’re calling a hub," said Young.
The coroner's office is paying attention to what's happening.
"I certainly respect the right of the people to do that, but I think if I'm given opportunity to do the job I've been elected to do, the voters will be satisfied," said Dr. Tape in a statement.
Organizers have six months to get enough signatures collected and verified.
"We want to get it done quickly," said Cefalu. "I’d be irritated if we don’t have it in six weeks."
If organizers are able to get everything done by mid-June, there's a chance the special recall election could appear on the November ballot. If it takes the full six months, the special election might not happen until next Spring.
Here is where you can go to sign the petition:
- Covington: Downtown Drugs
- Madisonville: Small Talk Salon
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