Los Angeles lawmakers confirm state police commissioner who settled federal racism complaint at his company

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BATON ROUGE — A commissioner appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards to the elite council that oversees Louisiana state police discipline has been confirmed by the Senate, according to commission director Jason Hannaman.

This curator, Mark Aubrey Cole, owns Don’s Specialty Meats. A Don’s employee has alleged he was exposed to racist conditions while working there and was treated so badly that he quit in the summer of 2020. The Equality Commission employment opportunity sued Don’s in September 2021; court records show Cole allegedly received the documents.

In late March, Governor Edwards appointed Cole to the State Police Commission, which oversees the discipline of all Louisiana state troopers. The governor’s office said Thursday that Edwards is aware of the matter and that Cole supporters continue to support the nomination, including a member of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus.

Hannaman said when her name came up in the Senate, no one objected to the nomination, so it turned into a confirmation by default.

“I’m friends with a lot of black people, and they’re all from Lafayette and know that I’m not that one person character,” Cole told WBRZ last month.

Currently, the Louisiana State Police is under investigation into patterns and practices related to how minorities were treated in Louisiana.

“If you have someone who has been successfully prosecuted by the EEOC, for discrimination against black people and the state police are systematically and practically investigated for discrimination against black people, that does not correspond not,” attorney Ron Haley said.

Haley has been on the front line for change at the Louisiana State Police since Ronald Greene’s case came to light. Greene, a black man, died after being beaten in police custody. His family was notified by state police that he died in an accident. As a result of cover-ups and hidden evidence, the agency’s top executives lost their jobs.

“It’s either completely tone deaf or completely intentional,” Haley said. “Either way, it’s unacceptable to the community.”

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