BATON ROUGE - A high school counselor in Baton Rouge was fired after administrators discovered he was having an inappropriate relationship with a student.

The staffer worked at Belaire High School, according to a statement from the East Baton Rouge School System. Sources identified the employee as Justin Broussard, an employee who worked in the school's "time-out room."

The student involved is reportedly a male sophomore. It's unclear whether the student is a minor or if any misconduct occurred on school grounds. 

A spokesperson said the school district was made aware of the situation Tuesday and reported it to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office. The situation was reportedly exposed by someone who knew the student. 

Broussard is a former teacher at Park Forest Middle School. In that role, he received recognition as one of the district's "Teachers of the Year" earlier this year.

EBRPSS has not formally named the employee involved in the alleged misconduct. Read the announcement from the school system below.

EBRPSS district leaders were notified Tuesday, August 29, 2023 that an employee at Belaire High School has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student.

Upon learning about this allegation, our Human Resources Department leaders immediately
notified EBRSO detectives who have launched a criminal investigation into all aspects of this situation. Additionally, we alerted and directed our Title IX representative to open a separate, external investigation into the matter.

Due to the nature of the allegations and evidence presented, Superintendent Narcisse has
terminated the employment of this employee, effective immediately. We will be providing
counselors on campus to assist any students who need those services.

Please reach out to law enforcement for any questions regarding the criminal investigation.