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New Orleans council votes to revoke Krewe of Nyx's parade permit

The krewe's captain plans to step down, attorney says

New Orleans council votes to revoke Krewe of Nyx's parade permit

The krewe's captain plans to step down, attorney says

TO YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. CARNIVAL CONTROVERSY. NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS VOTED TO TAKE AWAY THE PERMIT FROM A ONCE POPULAR MARDI GRAS SUPER KREWE. FOR YEARS, THE KREWE HAS BEEN IN DECLINE FOR SO MANY REASONS. YEAH. WDSU REPORTER ARIELLE BRUMFIELD IS LIVE WITH HOW PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES ARE REACTING TO TODAY’S VOTE. ARIELLE. WELL, LADIES, AS YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A HEAVILY ANTICIPATED DECISION. SOME SAY SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED A LONG TIME AGO. KREWE MEMBERS WE TALKED TO TODAY SAY THEY ARE DISAPPOINTED AND. SEVEN YEARS, NO NAYS. THE ORDINANCE IS PASSED. THE MYSTICAL KREWE OF NYX NIXED THE ONE SUPER KREWE THAT ROSE UPTOWN NO LONGER HOLDING A PERMIT FOR CARNIVAL SEASON. IT WAS A UNANIMOUS DECISION MADE BY NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THURSDAY. SHE WAS JUST TRYING TO EXPRESS A MESSAGE OF UNITY AND AND IT CAME TO THIS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT’S I’M NOT SURPRISED. I’M NOT SURPRISED. ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THIS PARISH, THERE’S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WANT OUR SPOT THERE ARE CREWS. I MEAN, AT ONE POINT IN TIME, WE WERE 3500 STRONG. WE WERE DUE TO YOU KNOW, MEDIA TO POLITICAL TO EVERYTHING. WE LOST A LOT OF OUR MEMBERS. THIS COMES ON THE HEELS OF KREWE CAPTAIN JULIE LEE’S ANNOUNCEMENT TO RESIGN, SOME SAYING THE DECISION IS LONG OVERDUE. AFTER LEE POSTED AN ALL LIVES MATTER POST ON THE KREWE, SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE DURING THE GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS, RUBBING SEVERAL PEOPLE, INCLUDING MEMBERS, THE WRONG WAY. I THINK SHE HAS A SKILL SET, KREWE ATTORNEY, DOUG SUNSERI, SAYS. LEE, WHO HAS A LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUND, WAS NOT INTENDING TO BE DIVISIVE. I’M NOT SURPRISED AT THIS POINT. I WAS TOLD THREE YEARS AGO AT GALLIER HALL BY MEMBERS OF THE STAFF THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN OF THE MAYOR STAFF, AND SO I THINK THIS IS A CULMINATION OF A A PREJUDGMENT. THEY MADE IN A VERY CLOSED MINDED MANNER ABOUT ABOUT JULIE LEE, ABOUT ABOUT A POST THAT SHE HAD MADE JUST FOR A BIT OF CLARIFICATION, COUNCILMAN JP MORRELL SAYS THE DECISION TO TAKE AWAY THE PERMIT IS NOT PERSONAL, AS HE SAYS THE KREWE HAS FAILED TO MEET THE ORDINANCE AND HAS UNDER BOOKED BANDS AND ADVERTISED FOR MEMBERS DURING THE PARADE BY THROWING BEADS USING A QR CODE. WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK WHETHER IT’S WORTH THE COST OR THE CRUISE GENERATING INTEREST AND TURNING OUT ENOUGH SPECTATORS TO JUSTIFY THE RESOURCES BEING SPENT TO SUBSIDIZE A PARTY. THERE’S A SPECIFIC CAP ON THE AMOUNT OF CREWS THAT CAN PARADE, AS WELL AS A WAITING LIST OF CREWS WAITING FOR THEIR TURN ON. AND WE ARE ALSO TOLD THAT LEE IS PLANNING TO STEP DOWN AS CAPTAIN OF THAT CREW. REPORTING HERE FROM CITY HALL.
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New Orleans council votes to revoke Krewe of Nyx's parade permit

The krewe's captain plans to step down, attorney says

The New Orleans Council has voted to revoke a former Super Krewe's parade permit for Carnival 2025. The council passed an ordinance Thursday to remove Nyx from the New Orleans parade line up. Doug Sunseri, the attorney representing the Krewe of Nyx said it's Captain Julie Lea plans on stepping down from her position. The plan was for that to happen officially Thursday, but Sunseri said it would be definite by next week. Nyx traditionally rolls behind Druids on the Wednesday before Mardi Gras. The ordinance was proposed by New Orleans City Councilmember J.P. Morrell.The ordinance was drafted May 2, after the council announced in April the embattled, all female krewe could lose its permit.Morrell previously said the council gave the krewe an opportunity to respond to the violations, but they have not. The Mystic Krewe of Nyx which once one of Mardi Gras' largest Krewes.The krewe has been plagued by several controversies in recent years including a mass exodus of hundreds of members after claims of racially offensive comments.The organization's attorney Doug Sunseri said the krewe feels like they are being ambushed and just found out about the move."If the council proceeds tomorrow, they're not interested in having a fair hearing on this particular issue and are wanting to continue to use the Krewe of Nyx as a political punching bag," Sunseri said.He said the council could be making an abrupt decision without allowing the krewe to present their case. "I think we're just being singled out and I think it's just a pre tax for attempting to achieve a political purpose for maybe a higher office," Sunseri said.In a statement, the director of communication for Councilman J. P. Morrell's Office, Monet Brignac, said, "The Mystic Krewe of Nyx had ample opportunity to engage this Council. As early as March 28, 2024, Nyx received a letter from the Council informing them of the infractions. The letter advised that the infractions would be discussed the following month at the Carnival Legislative Advisory Committee meeting and invited Nyx to participate via public comment. Nyx did not respond to the letter. In a letter sent to Nyx on March 28, 2024, Morrell told the krewe, "Your krewe contained 17 floats. The required number of marching bands for that size parade is seven. Your parade included five." "If as a krewe you cannot maintain membership necessary it is your job to give up the spot for someone who can. it is not our job to subsidize until can make enough money. that is my intent going forward," said Morrell during an April 24, 2024 council meeting.Morrell also claimed Nyx riders had throws with QR codes advertising membership, something he said was a violation."It's not our job as tax-paying citizens to subsidize your route until you can make enough money to meet your obligations," Morrell said. The krewe that once had thousands of members said, the ordinance is vague and they're hoping the council defer the vote."The ordinance has to be tightened up. I was hoping that the council would better define it so there wouldn't be so much ambiguity," Sunseri said.Nyx's captain Julie Lea told WDSU, the krewe initially had seven contracts signed with marching bands, but only five performed. She also said, she wants to address the allegations of the throws and ban that person from their krewe.

The New Orleans Council has voted to revoke a former Super Krewe's parade permit for Carnival 2025.

The council passed an ordinance Thursday to remove Nyx from the New Orleans parade line up.

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Doug Sunseri, the attorney representing the Krewe of Nyx said it's Captain Julie Lea plans on stepping down from her position. The plan was for that to happen officially Thursday, but Sunseri said it would be definite by next week.

Nyx traditionally rolls behind Druids on the Wednesday before Mardi Gras.

The ordinance was proposed by New Orleans City Councilmember J.P. Morrell.

The ordinance was drafted May 2, after the council announced in April the embattled, all female krewe could lose its permit.

Morrell previously said the council gave the krewe an opportunity to respond to the violations, but they have not.

The Mystic Krewe of Nyx which once one of Mardi Gras' largest Krewes.

The krewe has been plagued by several controversies in recent years including a mass exodus of hundreds of members after claims of racially offensive comments.

The organization's attorney Doug Sunseri said the krewe feels like they are being ambushed and just found out about the move.

"If the council proceeds tomorrow, they're not interested in having a fair hearing on this particular issue and are wanting to continue to use the Krewe of Nyx as a political punching bag," Sunseri said.

He said the council could be making an abrupt decision without allowing the krewe to present their case.

"I think we're just being singled out and I think it's just a pre tax for attempting to achieve a political purpose for maybe a higher office," Sunseri said.

In a statement, the director of communication for Councilman J. P. Morrell's Office, Monet Brignac, said, "The Mystic Krewe of Nyx had ample opportunity to engage this Council. As early as March 28, 2024, Nyx received a letter from the Council informing them of the infractions. The letter advised that the infractions would be discussed the following month at the Carnival Legislative Advisory Committee meeting and invited Nyx to participate via public comment. Nyx did not respond to the letter.

In a letter sent to Nyx on March 28, 2024, Morrell told the krewe, "Your krewe contained 17 floats. The required number of marching bands for that size parade is seven. Your parade included five."

"If as a krewe you cannot maintain membership necessary it is your job to give up the spot for someone who can. it is not our job to subsidize until can make enough money. that is my intent going forward," said Morrell during an April 24, 2024 council meeting.

Morrell also claimed Nyx riders had throws with QR codes advertising membership, something he said was a violation.

"It's not our job as tax-paying citizens to subsidize your route until you can make enough money to meet your obligations," Morrell said.

The krewe that once had thousands of members said, the ordinance is vague and they're hoping the council defer the vote.

"The ordinance has to be tightened up. I was hoping that the council would better define it so there wouldn't be so much ambiguity," Sunseri said.

Nyx's captain Julie Lea told WDSU, the krewe initially had seven contracts signed with marching bands, but only five performed. She also said, she wants to address the allegations of the throws and ban that person from their krewe.