A Donaldsonville councilman allegedly threatened a former mayoral candidate. Now, a zoning board member who posted a video of the incident is facing removal by the city council.
Clem Brown, the councilman for district three, allegedly threatened mayoral candidate Glenn Price with violence following the conclusion of the May 19 meeting.
Price had made some criticisms in a Facebook video, and he alleged Brown was angered by them and yelled out after the meeting adjourned. According to Price, Brown threatened to “put a hole in your head," threw his papers down, and started walking toward Price.
“He was saying, ‘I'm going to take you behind the levee, and I'm going to f- you up, and just all kinds of stuff,’” Price said, adding he soon exited the building.
Brown declined to comment on the incident. Asked if Brown said he wanted to fight Price behind the levee, Brown's brother and Council Chairman Charles Brown said he was “not going to say he didn’t.”
The details emerged last week when Board of Adjustments Member Shentelle Daigle, who ran against Clem Brown last fall and lost by 23 votes, published a video of the alleged incident.
In the footage, Charles Brown can be seen holding back Clem Brown, who is yelling. When the group sees Daigle filming, Councilman Michael Sullivan Sr. says, “don’t be filming that. Don’t film that.”
Daigle can be heard saying the video is “not live, but I have a right to record.”
She kept the video private until June 23, the day before the council was set to vote on a new ordinance restricting the recording of meetings. Unanimously passed by the council, that ordinance threatens violators with up to 30 days in jail.
Her recollection of the incident largely matched Price’s account.
“What happened was so out of line, like he literally threatened a man's life,” Daigle said. “He threatened to bring him behind the levee.”
The council now wants to remove Daigle and fellow board member Trevis Fernandez. Fernandez also ran for city council last fall, losing to Charles Brown by 88 votes.
The council was set to vote on removing Daigle and Fernandez Monday, but tabled the vote without discussion and abruptly adjourned. Charles Brown, who left the meeting immediately afterward, said the council still intends to remove them but failed to provide written notice to the two, which is required by state law.
When asked why the council wanted to remove both individuals, he said Fernandez missed meetings and Daigle works against the city government.
“We’re trying to work with them. And so, as a result of misleading the public and literally not working with the city government, why would we have you be a part of something? You're not even trying to be a part of the solution,” Charles Brown said.
Daigle said the council has tried to control the board, adding that her role within the city's democracy isn't to simply follow the council but add a check to its power.