Sound Off Louisiana

At the meeting of the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology (LSBC) on Monday, April 13, 2026, Rev. Freddie Phillips demonstrates the throwing of a “challenge flag” regarding the Board’s claim that 570 permitted braiders exist in Louisiana.

We are going to begin this feature by doing something we have never before done in the history of Sound Off Louisiana, and that is for founder Robert Burns to take a point of personal privilege.  The content of that personal privilege is contained in this email to Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology (LSBC) Executive Director Erin Marceaux.  From that email:

Ms. Marceaux:

As I indicated that I was going to do, I am drafting this email to voice my extreme frustration and anger regarding the utter failure of the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology to provide an acceptable venue for conducting its meetings.

I maintain fully my emphatic statement that “a circus tent” would be a drastic improvement over your existing venue; furthermore, your continued insistence on violating the Louisiana Fire Marshall’s maximum room capacity of 22 persons in this atrocious excuse of a meeting venue is completely and totally unacceptable!

We are going to produce a feature in coming weeks with considerably more detail regarding this ongoing battle between Burns and the LSBC in which we demonstrate in excruciating details some of the acts of complete and total unprofessionalism which the Board has engaged in recent weeks regarding this matter.

That is going to conclude the point of personal privilege, and we’re now going to move on to the latest salvo of the annual saga of whether Louisiana will ever free its hair braiders to legally work without the need for an utterly absurd 500 hours of instruction (emphasis on “legally” as we contend about 98.4 percent of Louisiana braiders simply ignore the absurd law and don’t dignify the LSBC).

We believe our contention is sound given that one State Representative, C. Denise Marcelle,  appeared before the LSBC a year ago and, during her presentation, she stated that it is, “kind of crazy” to license hair braiders!  Those are her words, not ours, and we believe she is in a better position to know than us.  Furthermore, Marcell indicated that, even if licensure was required, “the braiders are not going to submit themselves to you.”

That fact notwithstanding, two bills are expected to soon obtain their first House Commerce Committee hearings.  One bill would deregulate hair braiding, and the other would actually increase the number of hours required to “legally” braid hair from 500 hours to 600 hours.

At the April 13, 2026 LSBC meeting, Rev. Freddie Lee Phillips brought a white towel to symbolize the equivalent of an NFL challenge flag to the Board’s utterly false assertion that Louisiana has 570 permitted braiders today.  Here’s Phillips’ public comment on the matter:

4/13/26:  Phillips reviews paperwork he obtained from the LSBC which he lambasts as being “unacceptable.”

A little background is in order regarding Phillips’ commentary.  First, Phillips has been testifying before both the House and Senate Commerce Committees entailing deregulating the hair braiding industry for eight (8) years.  He plans to testify again this year, and he made a simple request for Burns to inquire about the current number of braiders in Louisiana in order that his testimony could be based on facts.  Accordingly, what ensued was this email exchange trying to ascertain the answer to Phillips’ extremely simple and basic question.  Here is the initial response from the LSBC:

From: Tisha Butler <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 9:45 AM
To: Robert Burns <[email protected]>
Cc: Erin Marceaux <[email protected]>; ‘Sheri Morris’ <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Very Simple Public Records Request

Good morning,
I have conferred with our IT department and we have a total of 570 alternative hair design permit holders.

Tisha

Immediately, and we do mean immediately, upon being provided with that number, Phillips said, “Rob, if we were coaches on an NFL team with you as head coach and me as an assistant coach, I would be imploring you to throw the red challenge flag on that last play immediately!  There is no way there are 570 braiders holding permits in this state!  No way!”

Phillips’ emphatic statement prompted us to do exactly as he said do and even making a football analogy in the process in our correspondence back to the Board, to wit:

Tisha:

I want to again thank you for your prompt response to my previous public records request and the fact you were even willing to just answer a question rather than forcing the issue of mandatory request for documents.

I don’t know if you are a fan of NFL football or NCAA football, but I need to make an analogy in making this latest public records request:

I am the head coach of the team, and your response to the last public records request is the latest play in the game. After the play concluded (i.e. once you sent the email), several of my assistant coaches, most especially Rev. Freddie Lee Phillips, Jr., whom I’ve copied on this email, have approached me and asked me to essentially throw the equivalent of the “red challenge flag” in an NFL or NCAA football game.

If you’re unfamiliar with that aspect of football, each team is permitted a certain number of challenges per half and, based upon my assistant coaches (again, most especially Rev. Phillips), and the repeated publications which have been made that, as of 2022, only approximately 38 permitted hair braiders existed in Louisiana in contrast to 6,700 in Mississippi at that same timeframe, and I want to refresh anyone’s memory by providing the link to this feature on Sound Off Louisiana from nearly a year ago: https://www.soundoffla.com/state-rep-c-denise-marcellmakes-surprise-appearance-at-cosmetology-board-meeting-and-states-that-its-kind-of-crazy-toput-licensure-on-hair-braiders/

In that article, I draw particular attention to this passage:

“As we have previously reported, Mississippi has 6,700 registered hair braiders (as of 2022) whereas Louisiana has approximately 38.”

Given the response you provided below, one can only conclude that some 530 braiders have obtained permits since 2022.

Burns then requested actual documentation to demonstrate precisely who all hold braiding permits in Louisiana, and the Board responded with this documentation outlining how many permits have been issued each year since 2023 and a master listing of ALL permitted braiders.  There was also this correspondence to accompany the preceding documentation:

On Mar 20, 2026, at 1:08 PM, Tisha Butler <[email protected]> wrote:

Good afternoon,

I am truly sorry and I appreciate the fact that you were able to reference the previous numbers that were given from past years and as a result, we have looked into the figures given. Our technology department is truly antiquated and running reports is not as simple as it once was, because of that we gave you an inaccurate number of alternative hair design permitters of 570.  We have since re-ran the report and the true figure is 124.

What boggles our mind is that the email inquiry was sent to the Executive Director of the LSBC, the Assistant Executive Director of the LSBC, and the attorney for the LSBC, and the reply email back indicating “570 braiders” was also received by everyone in the email chain.  That fact notwithstanding, and with all of the testimony and integral institutional knowledge that should exist among the LSBC, especially given the legal expenditures it has expended fighting hair braiders (approximately $156,603, or $1,262 per permitted braider in Louisiana) , it took an “outsider” (though we maintain Phillips knows a ton about the braiding industry in Louisiana) to catch such a glaringly exaggerated number!

We also have to concur with Phillips in his statements on the video above that, “You don’t need a computer program to keep up with that few braiders.”

We can only assume that Legislative testimony will once again be downright comical based on some other public comments made at yesterday’s LSBC meeting, to include most notably Lynn Johnson, who warns of “strokes” if this year’s cosmetology deregulation bills all pass:

4/13/26:  Johnson outlines all of the apocalyptic developments she says will unfold if Louisiana lawmakers pass deregulation bills for the cosmetology industry, yet she fails to mention why such developments have not transpired in the 37 states requiring no license or permit for hair braiding.

Notice that, in her introduction, Johnson asks in advance to exceed the Board’s “three-minute rule” indicating that she expects to take four (4) minutes.  For members like Phillips making public comment, the Board sternly enforces the three-minute rule; however, as noted by one audience member and as reflected in the duration of the above video, the Board had no qualms permitting Johnson to ramble on (and we do mean ramble) for in excess of six minutes.

This behavior is absolutely not how a public body is supposed to operate!  Either the rule is enforced or it is not, but no public body should allow the rule to be relaxed when hearing commentary the Members find soothing to their ears and demand a cessation of public comment when hearing words they don’t want to hear!

Johnson actually reached out to us via email after the meeting, to wit:

From: Lynn Johnson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, April 13, 2026 1:17 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: LSBC meeting

Robert,

I attended the LSCB meeting today. I would like to sit down with you to discuss your ideas for the bills that are currently in office and any other issues you have with the LSBC.

Let me know if you are open to this kind of conversation. If you are then we can set a meeting day and time that is convenient for both of us.

Regards

Lynn Johnson

Given the diametrically opposed viewpoints of Johnson and Burns, there’s a better chance of President Donald Trump and the top Iranian leaders having a meeting and peacefully and graciously exiting that meeting saying, “We’re all now in one accord,” than anything productive coming from a meeting between Johnson and Burns!

Further illustrating the total unprofessionalism of the Board Members in insisting on violating the State Fire Marshall Code capacity of 22 people, let’s take a look at another rambler, whose first name is “Paula,” and we think the last name may be Downing, but with all of the background noise, it’s tough to make out the letters Member Rene Bosworth says when Chairman Reed asks for her name.  Please note that viewers are forced to stare at the back of her head for the vast majority of the presentation!  That goes directly to the unprofessionalism of the LSBC Members regarding the meeting venue and, again, we are going to have another feature in coming weeks on that one issue alone.  In the meantime, here’s Paula’s public comment:

4/13/26:  Paula provides her public comment and, toward the end, makes sure to note that increasing the hours to 600 from 500 will enable students to qualify for a Pell Grant.

Former LSBC Chairman Frances Hand stated years ago that cosmetologists are not mere “hairdressers” and stressed how much more “professional” the industry has become.  It becomes extremely hard to accept that premise when one observes the kind of utterly unprofessional behavior we’ve seen exhibited by these Board Members, who clearly are focused solely and exclusively on a desperate attempt to obtain more Federal funds by trying to increase the number of hours for a braiding permit from 500 to 600, over the last few weeks, but we’re going to have much more to say on that in a subsequent feature!

Until then, pop a huge bag of intensely buttered popcorn because it seems obvious the LSBC plans to provide more propaganda at these upcoming Legislative Committee hearings than even the utter falsehoods uttered about the Board’s financial position at last year’s Legislative Session.

Fortunately, we citizens have Rev. Freddie Lee Phillips around to have them “toe the line” by throwing challenge flags when they make absurd representations like having 570 permitted braiders in Louisiana.

CLICK HERE for the meeting in its entirety.

Excerpt from a newspaper article Billy Broussard points to in backing his strong contention that acts of corruption and collusion were rampant in the former Gravity District 8 of Ward 1 of Calcasieu Parish.  Broussard has long maintained that fraud and collusion by governmental officials and/or their contractors cost him in excess of $1 million in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita.

After we published this February 25, 2026 feature in which we stated that taxpayers are owed more of an explanation than a “late Loudermill letter” regarding LSP Lt. James Jefferson III given that taxpayers expended $205,000 on him in 2024, Billy Broussard made the following comment to which we replied and reproduce now:

1.  Billy Broussard says:

February 27, 2026 at 9:35 am

I am publicly requesting that C. J. Matthews, former Ascension Parish Sheriff Captain, do a Sound Off with me explaining how law-enforcement is to handle newly discovered evidence in a case and how do you get that newly discovered evidence in a supplement report.

Hopefully, he will grant my request and thank you in advance!

1. 1.  Robert Burns says:

February 27, 2026 at 10:20 am

Billy, I am very happy to report that Mr. Matthews has granted your request, and I look very forward to having you both on Sound Off at the same time very soon!

As indicated above, Matthews granted Broussard’s request, and here is the Sound Off Louisiana interview we recently conducted with both gentlemen as our guests:

Broussard and Matthews discuss the interactions of law enforcement and DA offices.

In addition to that interview, Broussard provided us with a very intriguing 30-minute conversation he had with LSP Col. Robert Hodges.  Broussard secretly recorded the conversation, and he asked that we present a four-minute segment of that conversation.

We are going to grant Broussard’s request; however, since we believe the entirety of the conversation is quite intriguing, we are also going to provide the entire recording which Broussard provided to us.

After Broussard provided us the recording and strongly emphasized that four-minute segment, he stated:  “(Based on) the dialogue I had with him (Hodges) and other conversations, I feel that he’s a fine gentleman, but State Police is controlled by District Attorneys.”

Importantly, Broussard added:  “The crimes here are that certain individuals falsified documents to GOHSEP and FEMA to obtain money not to pay me but to enrich themselves.”

With those quotes by Broussard dispensed with, here is that four-minute segment of Broussard’s dialogue with Hodges:

Four-minute segment of audio file which Broussard contends that, in concert with other conversations with Hodges, “LSP is controlled by District Attorneys.”

Again, we want the entirety of the 30-minute audio file beyond just the four-minute segment Broussard requested for this feature.  Here is that full 30-minute audio file:

Entirety of 30-minute audio file of dialogue between LSP Col. Robert Hodges and Billy Broussard.  The audio is worth the listen if for no other reason for the occasional references Broussard makes regarding his cousin, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.

Other documents which Broussard requested to accompany this feature:

— Email correspondence between Gavin Abshire of River West Enterprises, Inc. and from Calcasieu Parish Assistant DA Robert Kleinschmidt:

—  This 3/16/16 chronology document.

— This 5/20/09 email from Kelly Fontenot stating a need to have, “those GPS sites go away.”

— This original LSP Case Report by former LSP Trooper Michael Hebert.

— The following letter from former Sen. Fred Mills to former Assistant AG Wilbur “Bill” Stiles:

The following letter from Stiles in response to Mills:

Broussard is very emphatic that he desperately needs that original LSP Incident Report to be supplemented with the facts borne out by all of the documentation he has obtained since that original report was drafted.

Broussard contends, and the documentary evidence which he has obtained and we have published seems nothing short of overwhelming from our vantage point,  that the documentation substantiates his claim that he was unequivocally cheated out of over $1 million by and through the actions of certain governmental officials.

Louisiana State Police (LSP) Lt. James Jefferson III embraces his attorney, Jill Craft, after his Motion for Summary Disposition was granted by the Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC) on Thursday, February 12, 2026.  Jefferson was arrested on March 31, 2026 entailing allegations made by the Attorney General’s Office that he engaged in “multiple incidents” of domestic violence, then used his position to cover up the alleged incidents, and also that he destroyed evidence pertaining to those incidents.

Our site visitors will recall our February 22, 2026 feature of the LSPC summarily dismissing all charges entailing Lt. James Jefferson III who had been subjected to a 48-hour suspension by LSP Col. Robert Hodges for his conduct pertaining to an arrest for alleged domestic violence with child endangerment approximately one year previous to our feature.  Hodges also disciplined Jefferson for failing to turn in an unmarked LSP unit and instead keeping the unit in his yard for over six months after it was due back to the Department.

After our initial feature, on February 25, 2026, we produced this feature showing that, with Jefferson raking in $205,000 in 2024, taxpayers were owed more of an explanation than a “late Loudermill letter.”

In the just-linked feature, Sound Off Louisiana founder Robert Burns felt an obligation to submit public records requests to Baton Rouge City Police (for body cam on the 2025 incident), the LSPC for any material considered during the summary disposition hearing, and to LSP for his IA file pertaining to the 2025 incident.

As is always the case, the LSPC took very little time in fulfilling our records request.  Furthermore, that material, in our minds, very definitively and authoritatively backs up Col. Hodges’ contention that the discipline was fully warranted.

Furthermore, we commend him for his steadfast insistence that Jefferson be disciplined for his actions as depicted in the Letter of Proposed Discipline on the just-linked documentation (see pages 127-141 for by far the most legible copy of the several copies we received as part of the complete package).

Here is the video for today’s feature:

March 31, 2026:  Burns assesses the latest Jefferson arrest and provides his take on the LSPC hearing granting Summary Disposition of the penalties imposed by LSP Col. Robert Hodges.

From Col. Hodges’ letter of intended 48-hour suspension:

While you were gone, Mrs. Jefferson stated she was on the phone with her aunt, Ms. Pulliam, discussing the argument with her. Mrs. Jefferson advised that you returned to the home around 11: 16 p.m. She stated that you sat outside in your truck (unmarked unit), in the driveway, for about 45 minutes, which prompted her to go outside to retrieve Ethan, who was asleep in the truck. Mrs. Jefferson stated she was still upset, and another confrontation escalated between her and you, next to your unit.

Officer Lemaire advised that during his initial interaction with you, he detected a strong odor of what he recognized as an alcoholic beverage. He also observed that you were unsteady on your feet, swayed back and forth, which suggested possible impairment. Although you told him that you did not consume any alcohol that night, Officer Lemaire was still concerned that alcohol was a contributing factor to the events that night. Officer Lemaire detained you, placed you in handcuffs, and seated you in the back seat of his patrol unit while he continued his investigation.

While Officer Lemaire was investigating, Mrs. Jeffierson provided him and the other officers on the scene with the video of the home surveillance footage. The video footage did not offer a clear view of the events because you and Mrs Jefferson were between two vehicles, but there was also audio.  Officer Lemaire stated that Mrs. Jefferson was heard yelling, “He’s punching me, “and “Don’t throw me to the ground.” Officer Lemaire advised that there were sounds consistent with a physical struggle or a scuffle. The audible portion strongly suggested that there was a physical struggle Officer Lemaire stated that he did not see any striking motions on the video footage, but the view was obstructed.

Officer Lemaire stated that he observed a scratch on the back of your hand, and you told him it probably occurred when you bent down to pick up your keys from the ground. He advised that he did not observe any bruises or abrasions on Mrs. Jefferson.  Officer Lemaire stated that he determined that there was probable cause to arrest you for Domestic Abuse Battery based on the scuffling noises and Mrs. Jefferson’s cries of distress in the home surveillance video footage, the information received from the aunt, your apparent odor of alcohol, your unsteady posture, and the scratch on your hand.

The following are the words that could be understood:
Mrs. Jefferson: “Why I’m at you, grown man, why I’m at you, why I’m at you” .. ,
Mrs. Jefferson:” …. That’s the problem … ”
Mrs. Jefferson: “If you can just let me have him.”
Mrs. Jefferson: “And, and, and… I know you do not care…. I know you don’t care … I’ll be ok ….. you are being … to be petty”
There is a muffled back-and-forth exchange of words between you and Mrs. Jefferson.
Mrs. Jefferson: “Let me get my child.”
Mrs. Jefferson is speaking, but it is muffled.
You: “Stop pushing me.”
Mrs. Jefferson: I’m not pushing you when you punching me.” At this time, the horn of the truck was heard.
Mrs. Jefferson: You punching me on the shoulder when my hands are raised … grabbing me out my … ”
Mrs. Jefferson: “Owah …. Owah … Owah ….. Help.” The horn was heard at least 4 times.
Mrs. Jefferson: “Move it. .. He’s pushing me, he’s pushing me!’ The horn was heard.
Mrs. Jefferson: “Please don’t throw me down on the ground. No.”
You: “Call’em, please call’em.”
Mrs. Jefferson: ”He just pushed me.”
You: “Call’em.. Call ’em … Call’em … hurry up and call’em.” Hom was heard.

As we stated above, Lt. Jefferson was arrested again today by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office.  From the preceding link:

A Louisiana State Police trooper who allegedly covered up evidence and lied to law enforcement investigating him for domestic violence was arrested Tuesday.

Trooper James Jefferson III, 41, was taken into custody by the attorney general’s office.

The AG’s office said investigators found evidence of multiple instances of domestic abuse against his wife of 15 years. Jefferson allegedly used his position in law enforcement to sway the outcomes of investigations.

“He had direct influence on law enforcement investigations where he was a suspect,” Press Secretary Lester Duhé said.

Jefferson allegedly destroyed evidence of domestic abuse and gave false statements during questioning with law enforcement.

The WBRZ Investigative Unit was at the scene when Jefferson was arrested. He will be booked for domestic aggravated assault by strangulation, domestic abuse with child endangerment, aggravated second-degree battery, obstruction of justice and filing false public records. The alleged incidents spanned from Feb. 5, 2025, to Dec. 29, 2025.

State Police said Jefferson is currently on administrative leave. He worked in LSP’s Gaming Control unit and has been employed at LSP since 2007.

__________________

Editor’s Note:  The above content was on WBRZ’s website feature of the matter in its original publication.  Subsequent to that publication, material was added and removed, and here is the updated material from the same feature:

Jefferson was booked for domestic abuse battery with child endangerment, but the district attorney declined to prosecute because the victim asked to drop the charges. New documents say the victim was pressured by Jefferson in that incident and others to lie to investigating officers.

According to an arrest warrant, Jefferson texted the victim while she was meeting with the DA to “Hurry tell them u mentally off… U had episode.”

Documents say that it wasn’t the only instance of Jefferson forcing the victim to lie to police.

In November, Jefferson allegedly pushed the victim, grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to the ground before getting in his truck and accelerating toward her. The report says the victim was struck and pinned between two cars before passing out.

Investigators interviewed two children who were there at the time of the alleged incident. The children told law enforcement they believed the victim was dead.

The warrant says, when officers arrived, both Jefferson and the victim said it was a traffic crash and not a domestic violence incident.

Jefferson allegedly sent a text message about the incident, saying “But we ain’t talking about truth. We’re talking about the crash report.”

The victim said she wanted to tell the truth about what happened, “but did not do so at the urging of James Jefferson III.” The victim was given two traffic tickets.

 

____________

As Burns stated on the video, Col. Hodges got it right, and a BRPD Officer got a bad and undeserved rap over this whole scandal.  That fact notwithstanding, the one with the most culpability over this disastrous episode is, as per Burns’ commentary in the above video, the “piss poor” District Attorney of East Baton Rouge:  Hillar Moore!  Here’s the final commentary of the original above-linked feature of WBRZ demonstrating Burns’ point (pertaining to the 2025 incident):

Jefferson was booked for domestic abuse battery with child endangerment, but the district attorney declined to prosecute.

That one sentence about sums it up, folks!

It was our plan to produce another feature for Thursday, but we’re now going to push that back to the beginning of next week, so we hope everyone has a Happy Easter weekend!