School board president arrested on obscenity, drug charges
Lincoln Parish School Board President David Gullatt was arrested Friday afternoon on charges of obscenity and drug possession after allegedly performing a lewd act in plain view in the parking lot of Planet Fitness.
A Lincoln Parish Detention Center booking sheet shows Gullatt, 72, of Simsboro, was arrested at the Planet Fitness address in Ruston at 1:45 p.m. Friday.
According to a Ruston Police Department arrest report, a witness called RPD after Gullatt allegedly pulled his vehicle next to the caller's, exposed himself and committed a lewd act in plain view.
Officers later found suspected methamphetamine and a glass smoking pipe on Gullatt's person.
His charges are one felony count of obscenity, one felony count of possession of Schedule II drugs, one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia, and one felony count of introduction of contraband into a penal institution.
The witness told RPD officers that Gullatt made a few laps around the parking lot and then pulled up next to the other vehicle. The complainant said he rolled down his window and asked, "Can I help you?" to which Gullatt reportedly replied, "Yeah I think you can help me," at which point the complainant looked into Gullatt's vehicle and witnessed him exposing himself and performing a lewd act.
The caller told police Gullatt offered to get in the caller's vehicle or have him come to Gullatt's vehicle. At this point, the complainant started filming Gullatt's act on his phone and stalled him until police arrived.
When the officer arrived on scene, the police report claims Gullatt attempted to drive away but was blocked. He was wearing a small pair of shorts with no shirt on when police engaged with him. He allegedly denied doing anything except changing clothes.
An officer found a clear zipper baggie of suspected methamphetamine in Gullatt's shorts while performing the arrest. At the detention center, a body scan revealed an object resembling a glass smoking pipe was still in his shorts. Upon retrieval, the pipe appeared to have meth residue inside.
Gullatt's total bond amount was $30,000. He appears to have posted it — as of midday Saturday he was not listed on the detention center's online inmate registry.
A former dean of the College of Education at Louisiana Tech University, Gullatt had just been appointed as school board president in January. He's also the former principal of Simsboro School and a former member of the Lincoln Parish Library Board of Control.
As of early Saturday afternoon, Lincoln Parish Schools Superintendent Ricky Durrett said he had no comment at this time as to Gullatt's status on the school board.
