By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

RESERVE – Coaches, players and parents filled the board room at the St. John schools central office on Thursday evening in a massive show of support for East St. John High School’s head football coach Larry Dauterive.

Deputies guarded the entrances to the building to prevent the room from overfilling, but enough people made it in by the start of the meeting to make the point.

An executive session, which was scheduled for much later in the meeting originally, was moved up to just after the opening prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.

After 30 minutes, the board members returned, and Superintendent Courtney Millet issued a statement regarding the situation.

According to Millet, no further action will be taken against the coach. Following that announcement, much of the assembled crowd filed out of the building quietly.

Dauterive was suspended for one game last week following an incident in which he allegedly used a racial slur during the course of a post-game speech to his players.