St. Tammany’s embattled coroner targeted under new state laws
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Gov. Jeff Landry signed two new laws that could limit the authority of a controversial coroner in St. Tammany Parish. Otto Kitsinger for States Newsroom)
Gov. Jeff Landry has signed two new laws to weaken the authority of St. Tammany Parish’s controversial coroner who is already the subject of a recall campaign.
Dr. Christopher Tape drew scrutiny from lawmakers after a WWL-TV investigation revealed he had been accused of child sex abuse in New Mexico decades ago and then settled a lawsuit over workplace sexual harassment allegations in the past few years. Charges in the New Mexico case were quashed after the prosecutor failed to move the case forward in a timely fashion.
Almost immediately after taking office, Tape also tried to cancel a multi-parish program housed in the St. Tammany coroner’s office that provides nurses to perform sexual assault exams on victims. The service helps police collect evidence and assists Northshore district attorneys who prosecute sex crimes.
Legislators responded to Tape’s actions, as well as his refusal to resign from his job, by filing legislation to limit his power.
Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, sponsored a new law to give the St. Tammany Parish Council greater authority over the coroner’s public finances and the ability to remove any coroner convicted of violent crimes. Moving forward, candidates for St. Tammany coroner must submit records regarding their criminal background to the local clerk of court.
Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, authored a second law that allows the state attorney general to move sexual assault victim programs to another parish if the local coroner is unqualified or unwilling to perform those duties.
In Tape’s case, a transfer has already happened. Last month, the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office took over the sexual assault examination program serving the Northshore region. The two parishes have entered into a cooperative endeavor agreement that allowed Jefferson Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich to hire the nurses who worked for the St. Tammany program.
Meanwhile, the organizers of Tape’s recall must gather 35,000 signatures from qualified voters before mid-October for an election potentially forcing Tape out of office to take place.
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