APR•St TAMMANY Obtains Public Records Involving Pearl River Police Department School Resource Officer
APR•St TAMMANY has obtained multiple public records involving Courtney Badon, who has been publicly identified by the Pearl River Police Department as a School Resource Officer at Little Pearl Elementary.
The department’s own public Facebook posts identify Badon as “our very own School Resource Officer Courtney Badon” and show her participating in school-related events at Little Pearl Elementary.
Public records obtained by APR also show Badon was hired by the Pearl River Police Department on December 9, 2022, with the listed title/position of Full Time POST School Resource Officer.
APR has also obtained a June 1, 2026 email regarding SRO training registration. In that email, Badon was listed as not qualifying for the 2026 SRO training because she did not have the required two years of law enforcement experience. The email states she would be eligible the following year.
In addition to those records, APR obtained Picayune Police Department and Picayune Municipal Court records connected to a 2015 incident.
According to the Picayune Police Department report, the case involved allegations of simple assault and simple assault on a minor.
Picayune Municipal Court records show Courtney Lateshia Badon was found guilty on May 26, 2016, of:
Simple Assault
Simple Assault on a Minor
The court records list probation, fines, assessments, and payment information tied to those convictions.
APR is reporting this because the public has a legitimate interest in knowing what background checks, qualification reviews, and hiring standards are being used before someone is hired by a police department, issued a badge, assigned a firearm, and placed around children in a school setting.
This raises several serious questions for the Town of Pearl River and the Pearl River Police Department:
Was this court record known before Badon was hired?
Was it reviewed before she was assigned to a school setting?
Why was she listed as a “Full Time POST School Resource Officer” if later records show she did not qualify for 2026 SRO training due to lack of required experience?
Were school officials, town officials, or the council made aware?
What background standards are currently being used for Pearl River Police Department officers and school resource assignments?
APR is not reporting that Badon is accused of any new crime. APR is reporting on public records, court records, and department-related documents obtained through official channels.
Parents deserve transparency. Students deserve safety. The public deserves answers.
APR will continue reviewing records related to Pearl River Police Department hiring, qualifications, discipline, and school-related assignments.
Anyone with public records, documents, or information involving Pearl River Police Department hiring, qualifications, SRO assignments, complaints, or discipline may submit them to APR for review. Private victim information, minors’ identities, and source information will be protected whenever possible.
Photos & Records
Use the arrows to review supporting images for this story.
