ST. TAMMANY PARISH - A group of Louisiana state legislators, the Northshore Delegation, called for the resignation of the St. Tammany Parish coroner elect over his plan to terminate the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program when he assumes office.

According to the statement by the delegation, coroner elect Dr. Christopher Tape had multi-state sexual harassment allegations unknown to voters prior to his election, which the delegation previously used to call for his resignation.

The delegation further notes that examining sexual assault victims is the role of the coroner's office, and getting rid of the program would be getting rid of "one of the best in the state... and possibly the nation" for collecting evidence in sexual assault cases.

The St. Tammany Parish SANE Program currently provides services for the Louisiana Department of Health, Region 9, including Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington Parishes.

"Cutting the SANE program in St. Tammany will leave thousands of survivors without access to highly-trained forensic examiners," the statement said. "The decision to cut the SANE program is a grave disservice to survivors of sexual assault in those parishes."