Former Caddo educator facing prosecution lands new job in neighboring school district

By Web staff

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    HOMER, Louisiana (KTBS) — A former Caddo Schools principal pending prosecution for felony theft has landed a new job with a neighboring school district.

The Claiborne Parish School District on Monday introduced Marco French as the elementary instructional supervisor. The social media post describes French as an “accomplished educator and community leader” and ran down his list of academic accomplishments.

French was charged in March in Caddo District Court with felony theft. He pleaded not guilty on May 2 during his first court appearance.

French’s pending criminal charge does not prevent him from being hired by another school district, said attorney Jon Guice, who represents the Claiborne Parish School Board.

State law includes a list of crimes such as crimes of violence and sex-related offenses that would prohibit a person from being employed with a school system upon conviction. Theft or felony theft is not included, Guice said.

However, the state Department of Education has a policy to review the employment of those convicted of felonies. DOE reserves the right to suspend or revoke that person’s teaching certificate.

“As long as that doesn’t happen, he’s good to go,” Guice said of French.

French’s arrest is in connection with an investigative audit and criminal investigation into alleged thefts at three Caddo schools. French, who was the principal of Queensborough Elementary, and two other principals were named in the audit and subsequently arrested following an investigation by the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office.

French was placed on administrative leave on the day KTBS reported the investigation. He later resigned.

According to the investigation, French – the Louisiana Principal of the Year in 2022 – billed $1,012 for tutoring sessions he did not attend, was reimbursed twice totaling $1,514 for airline tickets for an out-of-town trip and got $107 for T-shirts that were made by a business he owns.

French reimbursed the school for the payments.

District Attorney James Stewart told KTBS French and the other two principals likely will be eligible for pretrial diversion, which is an option to traditional prosecution where charges are dismissed if defendants stay out of trouble and meet certain criteria such as restitution.

In its post about French’s employment, the Claiborne Parish School District said French was a “sought-after motivational speaker and mentor.”

“Marco French’s legacy is one of empowerment, excellence and enduring positive impact on the lives of countless individuals,” the post reads.

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