EBR School Superintendent Lamont Cole indicted in sweeping Baton Rouge corruption probe
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - On the eve of a new school year, East Baton Rouge Parish School Superintendent Lamont Cole was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday, becoming the latest local official ensnared in Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s sweeping corruption probe.
RELATED: Superintendent of EBR Schools indicted in sweeping corruption probe
The grand jury in the 19th Judicial District Court returned a “true bill” on August 5, 2026, formally charging Cole, along with local residents Terral C. Jackson and Erica P. Jackson.
The charges against Cole stem from actions that occurred from Aug. 10, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2024, according to the indictment. That timespan covers part of his tenure on the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council, as well as several months after he was appointed superintendent of schools.
Cole responded publicly with a statement Wednesday afternoon.
He referenced his personal struggles while speaking to about 6,000 school district employees yesterday.
“I am currently experiencing one of the most challenging times of my life,” Cole told the audience of East Baton Rouge Parish school employees gathered at the district’s annual back-to-school convocation.
An indictment is an accusation and does not represent a conviction.
An arrest warrant has been issued for the superintendent. As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Cole had not yet reported to the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison to be booked on the charges.
Details of the Indictment
According to court documents obtained by the WAFB I-TEAM, the seven-count indictment outlines allegations of bribery, money laundering, and malfeasance occurring over a more than two-year period:
- Count 1 & Count 2 (Conspiracy to Commit Public Bribery): The state alleges that Cole, Terral Jackson, and Erica Jackson conspired to “give or offer to give, directly or indirectly, anything of apparent present or prospective value to a public officer.” Simultaneously, Cole is accused of conspiring to accept these unauthorized benefits while serving as a public official.
- Count 3 & Count 4 (Money Laundering - Jacksons): Terral and Erica Jackson are charged with receiving or acquiring proceeds from criminal activity. The indictment notes the transactions involved funds totaling “$20,000 or more but less than $100,000.”
- Count 5 & Count 6 (Money Laundering - Lamont Cole): Cole is charged with two counts of money laundering. The state alleges he “directed, planned, organized, initiated, financed, managed, supervised, or facilitated the transportation or transfer” of proceeds from criminal activity, valued between $20,000 and $100,000.
- Count 7 (Malfeasance in Office - Lamont Cole): Cole is accused of intentionally performing a duty required of him as a public officer in an unlawful manner.
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