Reggie Brown, a former interim police chief in Monroe, has become an unlikely social media folk hero and, quite possibly, the highest-paid jailer in Louisiana.
After winning a landmark case against the city of Monroe before the Louisiana Supreme Court last week, Brown returned to work on Monday, expecting to resume duties as a patrolman. Instead, he was assigned to work as a jailer at the parish pea farm—a move his attorney, Carol Powell Lexing, calls “more city shenanigans” designed to humiliate him.
However, instead of humiliating him, the move has made him a hero in the eyes of the local community as social media gives a thumbs down to Mayor Ellis and Chief Zordan and a thumbs up to Brown.
Brown, a sergeant under civil service rules, cannot be permanently demoted to a lower position like jailer without violating state regulations, which also prohibit a jailer from being permanently paid at a sergeant’s higher pay grade. The city’s decision to assign Brown to this role has raised eyebrows, with Lexing suggesting it may be an attempt to humiliate him and force him to incur additional legal fees if he challenges the assignment.
The Supreme Court’s ruling not only reinstated Brown but also entitled him to over three years of back pay and any promotions he would have earned since his wrongful termination.
Justice Hughes, in the court’s opinion, stated that Brown’s firing should never have occurred.
The city has already spent over $256,000 in legal fees fighting Brown, prompting the city council on Tuesday night to urge the mayor to stop spending public funds on what they describe as the “persecution” of Sergeant Brown.
Carol Powell Lexing, an associate of nationally recognized civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, has a standard legal fee of $550 an hour and has successfully won cases before both the Louisiana and U.S. Supreme Court.
Council members emphasized that these funds could be better used to provide essential services to Monroe residents.
Despite his reassignment and the inability to carry a service weapon as a jailer, Brown remains resolute.
“I don’t plan to quit,” he said, vowing to continue his fight against the city’s actions.
His resilience has garnered significant attention online, with many supporters urging him to run for mayor in 2028.
For now, Brown’s saga continues as he navigates his new role as Louisiana’s highest-paid jailer, a position that underscores both his victory and the ongoing tensions with the city of Monroe.
Brown is two years away from qualifying for retirement.
NAACP has too much drama going on to be such a small org in the city