BATON ROUGE- An employee who is tied to a questionable will that caused community outrage at the East Baton Rouge Parish Council on Aging received a $20,000 pay bump in January when voter-approved tax increases took effect.

The WBRZ Investigative Unit obtained that information through a public records request.

Trudy Bihm was the Executive Assistant to Tasha Clark Amar last year. In January, she was promoted to Special Assistant to Tasha Clark Amar/Special Programs and Projects Coordinator. That change in title came with a big change in pay, from $48,000 to $68,000.

We first encountered Bihm when she tried to block our cameras last year when we questioned the Director of the East Baton Rouge Parish Council on Aging, Tasha Clark Amar, about Helen Plummer's questionable will. Bihm was listed as the "Alternate Executrix" in the event that something happened to Executrix Tasha Clark Amar. Helen Plummer's will would have benefitted Clark Amar to the tune of $120,000. But, she backed off when it was exposed. Clark Amar sued the Plummer family for defamation after the Investigative Unit aired stories about what happened.

"This is her payback," Robert Garrity said referring to Bihm's raise. "This is her reward for being a loyal soldier."

Garrity is one of the attorneys representing the Plummer family in the ongoing litigation. He said the public should be outraged by this.

"This is blatant theft of public funds," Garrity said. "This is the reason why our state is in financial trouble and the reason why the citizens of the state have said we've had enough. You don't get any more tax money because all you're doing is wasting it."

East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Councilman Buddy Amoroso has long been a critic of the Council on Aging. He said the increase Bihm received is a slap in the face to City-Parish workers.

"There are so many people in the city that need raises, and when you see someone in the public sector getting a $20,000 raise, it makes you scratch your head and wonder what was going on," Amoroso said.

Last year, Amoroso called for Clark Amar to step down.

"I did go on the record and ask that the executive director needed to resign, and I still hold the same point," Amoroso said. "What happened with the Plummer will was despicable."

The calls for Clark Amar to go come after Southern University terminated Professor Dorothy Jackson. Jackson wrote the will at Southern's Elder Law Clinic. Jackson is appealing her termination and still sits on the East Baton Rouge Parish Council on Aging Board.

Tasha Clark Amar turned down our requests for an on-camera interview. However, in a written statement she said, "The organizational chart was restructured with newly created positions as well as additional duties assigned to employees and approved by the board of directors. No employee was afforded an undeserving pay increase."

BAKER- A Baker High School teacher is pressing the system to make changes following an encounter with a student that ultimately left him on medical leave.

Austin Trusclair said he had taken his class outside for an activity when 17-year old Jacobe Rogers assaulted him. Rogers was arrested and charged with battery on a school teacher.

"He snuck me from behind and struck me five or six times in the head," Trusclair said.

His run-in with Rogers at the end of February was the culmination of documented problems he had with the student. He claims the school system did nothing.

Trusclair read word for word from a write up during another assault:

"Mr. Rogers got up out of his seat, took my hat off my head and threw it in the trash and said he didn't give a f*** about me or a f*** about anything I was saying," Trusclair said.

Trusclair believes the lack of action by the school system allowed Rogers to ultimately receive criminal charges.

"There's no protection," Trusclair said. "There's no resource officer on campus. As a result of that, I'm in fear that if another student attacks me, I would have to defend myself."

Last year, the Baker School System turned down a resource officer that would be stationed at school due to a lack of money. Despite the safety concerns brought up by Trusclair, Baker School Superintendent Herman Brister said he hasn't heard anything from other teachers.

"I haven't had a situation where a teacher has come to me or a school board member or anyone else that said they were not safe in the school," Brister said.

But tonight, Trusclair said he sent Brister emails asking to have a meeting to discuss the issues and never heard back. He's afraid to return to work after receiving threats and knowing no one from law enforcement is paid to be on campus by the school system to protect the teachers.

"I would like for them to have protection for the faculty and staff and a little bit more transparency with the administrators," Trusclair said.

BATON ROUGE- At a meeting with parents Monday night, proposals were discussed to prevent what happened at the Greater Baton Rouge Hope Academy from ever occurring again.

The WBRZ Investigative Unit published an audio recording last week where you can hear two educators mocking a student with Autism. That student, Camden Davis, began wetting the bed and getting aggressive. It's why his mom, Milissa Davis decided to place a recording device in his backpack to hear what was going on. The published recordings led to the termination of one educator immediately and the other following national outrage that came as a result of the WBRZ Investigative Unit story.

Part of the disturbing audio clips are captioned below:

     ADULT: You're just writing the word. What is hard about it?

     STUDENT: grunting noise.

     ADULT: mocks noise

     ADULT: Camden, why don't you have anything written down? That's why you can't sit with everyone. Tell your momma that.

     ADULT: Let's see what they do with him in f****** public school. He was going to go to Live Oak Middle. Uh ah, he wouldn't make it for a minute.

Today, Board President Brandon Black said a number of items were discussed with parents Monday night. Among some of them: adding cameras to the school and how to pay for them, additional sensitivity training and refining background checks.

Aidan Reynolds has a son who has Autism. He said he was flabbergasted when he heard the recordings.

"The father in me was outraged, profoundly disappointed," Reynolds said. "I was angry. The lawyer in me was, how did they let this happen. How are they screening these teachers? Are they providing them with any support or sensitivity training?"

Once again today, no one from Hope Academy would do an on-camera interview. However, at least one parent who has a child there did to support the school. Dr. Jennifer Hogan said the recording does not define the good work that is happening there for other students. Hogan's 14-year old has behavior and social issues.

"They have helped us move him along," Hogan said. "He's functioning a lot better now. He's happy. He's learning. We've had a very good experience."

Meanwhile, Reynolds said he would like to see changes on the state level so this never occurs again. Reynolds would like to see Louisiana model Texas' laws when it comes to dealing with kids with special needs.

"The Texas education law allows for parents, administrators, teachers, and guardians to request both audio and video in classrooms where they are educating special needs kids," Reynolds said.

The President of the Board at Hope Academy, Brandon Black, said he would do an interview next week to talk about the exact changes that are being made. That's when a formal plan is expected to be in place.

ST. GABRIEL- The United States Army Corps of Engineers said Monday that Iberville Parish does not need a permit to operate aqua dams in the event of a flood because they would be placed on a parish road and not in the wetlands or a waterway.

That announcement comes at a time where East Baton Rouge Parish is at odds with Iberville Parish over the aqua dams that would block water from Bayou Manchac from spilling into the Spanish Lake Basin. The concern is Iberville could possibly flood residents in East Baton Rouge Parish if the dams are deployed.

Monday, a cadre of parish officials tested out the aqua dams and learned how to deploy them during emergencies. The three miles of aqua dams would cover parts of Alligator Bayou Road in Ascension Parish and Manchac Road in Iberville Parish. Iberville Parish President Mitch Ourso said the hope is to keep the water in its channel.

"I don't want any harm on Baton Rouge residents, but in the same breath, I have to protect my people," Ourso said. "Hopefully everything fairs out well."

The test of the aqua dams today comes at a time where East Baton Rouge Parish is formulating a plan to take action against Iberville. Two weeks ago, the parish attorney's office held a meeting with the Director of Transportation and Drainage. Attempts to find out what was discussed and what East Baton Rouge is going to do to block Iberville were not immediately clear. Lea Ann Batson told WBRZ two weeks ago she would not discuss their strategies.

"I'm ready for any and all things they shoot at us," Ourso said.

This year, East Baton Rouge Parish asked what permits Iberville received for the aqua dams. Ourso said he didn't need one since he took an oath to protect and serve the people.

Today, the United States Army Corps of Engineers agreed that Iberville does not need a permit for the aqua dams. A spokesperson said usually the federal agency doesn't get involved in parish to parish disputes.

"Placement of temporary water control features such as HESCO baskets or inflatable dams on a roadway does not fall under USACE regulatory authority," Matt Rowe with USACE said.  "However, if these structures were to be placed in a wetland or waterway, the entity would have to receive an Emergency Permit for the placement of a temporary structure in Section 10 waters."

Ourso said the dams are ready and will be used if there is any sort of threat that requires their deployment.

"I'd rather go down doing what's right then stand on the side doing nothing," Ourso said. "This is the quickest, most economical way if the water comes over the bank again and keep it in the channel where the water is from."