NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) ––– The New Orleans City Council reinstated Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) Commissioner Sharon Jasper following a special meeting to hear the appeal of her most recent termination and began investigating brochures sent by the Mayor’s office earlier this year.
Following a disruptive regular meeting on October 25, 2022, several HANO staffers sent a letter to the Mayor’s office, requesting she removes Jasper from her seat. The letter claimed staffers feared for their safety when residents aired their frustrations during a public meeting.
Roughly a week later, Jasper received a letter from the Mayor’s office notifying her of her termination. In her appeal, Sharon Jasper claims her termination is “retaliatory at best and double jeopardy at the very least.”
Representatives from HANO and the Mayor’s office testified before council members, reciting similar concerns in their initial complaint. The Executive Director of HANO, Evette Hester, compared the October meeting to the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. “It was similar to that. People were in the audience threatening staff, threatened board members,” said Hester.
Council member Morrell responded, “comparing your meeting to January 6 is the most offensive and silly thing I’ve ever heard.” After hearing testimony from both sides and public comment, council members quickly voted 7-0 to reinstate Jasper.
At the end of the special meeting, council members voted to move forward with an investigation into Mayor LaToya Cantrell over brochures mailed to voters in January.
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