By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – A St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s deputy assigned as a resource officer in the school system has been suspended without pay after officials received a complaint about the deputy from a student.

Capt. Dane Clement, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said the complaint came from an 18-year-old female student, who alleged the resource officer touched her in an inappropriate manner. Clement said the deputy, who has not been identified, was suspended Tuesday and will remain so until the conclusion of an investigation by the Sheriff’s Office. He did not say how long the investigation would take.

Authorities did not say when the complaint was filed. Clement would not say at which school the alleged incident took place.

He said the Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the St. John school system, appoints resource officers, who are required to be Louisiana Peace Officers, at East St. John High School, West St. John High School and the St. John Alternative School.

Officials with the school system declined comment and referred all questions to the Sheriff’s Office. Clement said a temporary replacement officer was sent to the school Thursday and will remain there until the conclusion of the investigation.