Behind The Lens episode 100: Don’t worry, it’s not a clip show

A new COVID spike at the jail. Laura evacuees arrested in New Orleans. NOLA Public Schools fights subpoena in Kennedy suit. And a rental assistance program has provided little assistance.

On the 100th episode of Behind the Lens, The Orleans Parish School Board is fighting a deposition of NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Henderson Lewis Jr. as part of a class-action lawsuit filed by John F. Kennedy High School families in the wake of the 2019 graduation scandal at the school.

The New Orleans City Council heard earlier this week that only $115,000 has been disbursed to New Orleans for rental assistance so far. The estimate was the city would receive $5.5m from the state. Where’s the money? 

There appears to be a fall surge at the New Orleans jail. They are experiencing the largest outbreak of coronavirus among detainees and staff at the facility since May. 

And the Orleans Public Defenders office is criticizing the NOPD for several recent arrests of people on low-level charges who came here fleeing Hurricane Laura. The lawyers argue this type of aggressive policing adds an unnecessary burden for evacuees already dealing with major trauma.

Our guests on this special 100th episode of Behind the Lens are education reporter Marta Jewson, government and cultural economy reporter Michael Isaac Stein, criminal justice reporter Nick Chrastil and The Lens editor, Charles Maldonado.

Behind The Lens is available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Play and Stitcher. And we broadcast the show on community radio stations 102.3 FM WHIV LP in Mid-City and 90.3 FM WAMF-LP in the Marigny.

Carolyne Heldman

Carolyne Heldman has been in media for 35 years, most recently as Executive Director at an NPR member station in Colorado where she was responsible for new multi-platform content initiatives, strategic planning, research, branding, and non-traditional revenue generation. During her tenure she also created and launched four weekly news, public affairs and cultural affairs programs and monthly live Town Hall broadcasts. Heldman moved to New Orleans last summer with her husband and canine companion and they live happily in The Marigny.