It was wise for the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board to implement some contract safeguards while the criminal charges against Superintendent Lamont Cole play out in court.
Even if Cole is never convicted — and he is presumed innocent, of course — the specter of the public corruption accusations that he faces would cast a shadow over every step he takes until the case resolves.
To briefly recap: Cole was indicted last month and charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, money laundering and malfeasance as part of a sprawling investigation into city-parish government. Charging documents allege Cole “agreed to accept bribes” in exchange for directing contracts toward a friend, who was also indicted. All of the allegations relate to his time on the Metro Council; none stem from his time atop the school system…