Coccoloba AgroEnvironmental LLC, an environmental consulting and tree management firm, denied on Thursday that it submitted a proposal in the invitation-only competitive process awarded to NOLA Education. It demanded that the Family Department hand over the documents attributed to it or publicly correct the record, following Family Secretary Suzanne Roig’s Wednesday testimony before the Senate.
In written statements, the company said its only action was to reply on January 8, 2026, to an email received on December 30, 2025, declining the invitation to submit a proposal. 'We did not send that reply to any other person or email address, as the Secretary alleged during her deposition in the Senate,' the company said, adding that it addressed its response only to Roig. The clarification follows Senate questions on Wednesday about why Coccoloba was evaluated by LAP Consulting, the firm in charge of evaluating proposals, in the process that gave NOLA Education a $38 million contract.
The contract covered educational services through Star Academy, paid with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds from the Family Socioeconomic Development Administration (ADSEF). Coccoloba said the request for proposals’ requirements did not align with its operations. It said it attached a brochure and a profile of its services so the agency would know its capabilities for future projects.
It argued that replying to decline, or sharing general service information, does not amount to submitting a proposal, and rejected that the inclusion of its name in an administrative evaluation shows it submitted one. Citing Roig’s sworn statements, it asked the department to give its legal counsel a complete copy of the proposal attributed to it, including attachments and proof of sending or receipt.