JEFFERSON PARISH, LA — The long-standing battle between Jefferson Parish leadership and its firefighters has moved from council chambers to the courtroom, as a newly filed taxpayer lawsuit accuses Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng of illegally using public funds to finance a personal legal vendetta.
The lawsuit, filed on Jan. 5, marks a sharp escalation in a feud that has simmered for five years over pay raises and departmental funding. At the heart of the new legal challenge is a “stalking” petition filed by Sheng against Stephen Orkus Jr., a member of the Jefferson Fire Fighters Association Local 1374.