New Orleans cop carnival queen who rode high and lived a lavish lifestyle at parade crew members expense is being sued after refusing to refund members following fallout over her All Lives Matter post
Julie Lea, 47, founded the first all-female New Orleans Mardi Gras parade crew, the Mystic Krewe of Nyx, in 2012
The group swelled to more than 3000 fee-paying members and earned plaudits for its dazzling displays
But things turned sour after Lea, an 18 year veteran in the New Orleans PD, posted an All Lives Matter meme in the wake of George Floyd s death
Members resigned en masse when she Lea refused to embrace the term Black Lives Matter and have launched a class action lawsuit to get their fees back
How one of the largest and fastest growing Mardi Gras krewes fell into chaos
A rapid sequence of controversies over the past year, however, has put a harsh spotlight on the super krewe. Author: Mike Perlstein / Eyewitness Investigator Published: 9:04 PM CDT May 7, 2021 Updated: 9:38 PM CDT May 7, 2021
NEW ORLEANS In the city that turns fun and festivity into an art form, Carnival is the pinnacle. And while some traditions go back more than a century, the all-female parading Krewe of Nyx became a major attraction in less than a decade.
A rapid sequence of controversies over the past year, however, has put a harsh spotlight on the super krewe.
Former Nyx members sue krewe captain Julie Lea on the day it would have rolled Mike McDaniel / Eyewitness News
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She would normally be the center of attention during the Krewe of NYX parade, but now captain Julie Lea and the NYX organization are at the center of a 19-page lawsuit, alleging Lea controlled the Krewe of NYX for her personal benefit.
That lawsuit, filed on behalf of five former krewe members, claims Lea used her position of power as captain to live a lavish lifestyle at the expense of members. The lawsuit claims Lea pocketed dues and fees from members and accuses her of committing fraud, racketeering, breach of contract and unfair trade practices.
Lawsuit claims Nyx captain led lavish lifestyle on the backs of Nyx members
The Krewe of Nyx would have been riding down St. Charles Avenue the day the lawsuit was filed, if not for New Orleans COVID-19 restrictions. Author: WWL Staff Updated: 5:17 PM CST February 10, 2021
NEW ORLEANS A potential class action lawsuit filed against the Mystic Krewe of Nyx and its leader, Julie Lea, claims the Mardi Gras Krewe’s captain used her position of power to live a lavish lifestyle “on the backs of her Nyx ‘sisters.’”
The lawsuit, filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court on behalf of former riders, could allow for more than 3,000 former members to collect damages from the organization.