Walter Lee Pleads Guilty and Will Resign from Bese

Former Desoto and Caddo School Superintendent and BESE member Walter Lee takes a guilty plea in a Desoto Parish courtroom and will resign from BESE.

Today is his last day as a member of BESE. A special election will now have to be held to determine his replacement. This ends a 3 year battle over double dipping accusations leveled against Lee.

Lee's attorney Taylor Townsend tells KEEL News:

he entered a best interest misdemeanor guilty plea to the charge of unauthorized use of a movable. All other charges were dismissed in connection with his guilty plea.

Townsend goes on to say that he does not think the long time education leader has done anything wrong.

Walter Lee complied with his contract. Walter Lee did not violate state law. And he did what he was clearly allowed to do under his contract and under law. As I stand here today there is no crime committed.

Judge Charles B. Adams accepted the reduced charge after the two sides reached an agreement. In addition to ending his BESE service, Lee was sentenced to a six-month suspended parish jail term, placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay the DeSoto School Board more than $10,000 dollars.

In exchange, Johnson agreed to dismiss the other charges pending against Lee. Within two hours of the sentencing, the DeSoto DA’s office delivered a personal check to the school board for what the court said he owed.

Townsend says Walter Lee is 80 years old and