(WBRZ News 2) Mayor Sharon Weston Broome's chief administrative officer resigned amid reports that he lied about his college education.
Broome released the following statement on Friday afternoon:
"I have accepted the resignation of Troy Bell. I am disappointed that he chose to withhold information about his background while interviewing for and subsequently accepting the position of chief administrative officer. I will not let this be a distraction to the commitment I have made to the people of the City of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish. The mayor-president's office will continue to serve our fellow residents in an efficient manner as we have since the beginning of my tenure."
Broome announced Troy Bell as the city's chief administrative officer recently. Friday, a report by the Baton Rouge newspaper The Advocate questioned Bell's resume.
Bell does not hold the master's degree he claimed, the paper reported.
In applying for the position – a top government job – Bell said he has an MPA from Bernard M. Baruch College of the City University of New York. But, the school said he has not finished the coursework to have such a degree. Earlier this week, a school official told the WBRZ Investigative Unit, there was not a Troy Bell listed in a graduate database.