GEDC members to resign as settlement reached in Grambling lawsuit
The Grambling Economic Development Corporation is now in the hands of the city of Grambling and should have a new board of directors by Thursday night.
That’s the result of a negotiated settlement reached late Tuesday afternoon that ends a lawsuit filed by the city and city council seeking to dissolve the GEDC. The settlement was reached after approximately eight hours of discussions between the parties.
“This does put to rest the litigation that has been quite contentious,” 3rd District Judge Monique Clement said in accepting the settlement.
Grambling Mayor Alvin Bradley said he’s pleased with the settlement that puts economic development back with the city.
The agreement included the immediate resignations of GEDC President Edward Jones and board members Phyllis Miller, Linda Butler, Eddie Robinson III, and Mary Gipson. GEDC employee Eddie Milton Jones, Edward Jones’ brother, also resigned.
In exchange for the resignations, the city and city council effectively agreed to absolve Jones and the former board from any questionable actions taken.
The city council is expected to elect a new GEDC board Thursday night.
“The GEDC is going to be led by a new board. As we’ve said all along, the dissolution was simply to make sure the tax dollars (that went to GEDC) were protected and property administered,” Grambling City Attorney Ron Lattier said.
Lattier said the new board will be “a mixture of citizens and elected officials who put Grambling first.”
The dissolution agreement also requires Edward Jones to return a Chevrolet Malibu owned by the GEDC by 6 p.m. Tuesday. Former directors were given until 6 p.m. Sunday to remove any personal belongs from the GEDC office located in Grambling’s Legends Square Shopping Center.
The former board members were also to turn over all keys, passwords, and other data necessary to access any computerized account or data that, as of Tuesday, was in the GEDC’s possession.
The settlement further includes the dismissal of a criminal contempt of court motion filed Saturday by the city and council against Jones and the now-former GEDC board over the sale of the Legends Square shopping center in late December 2024.
