BATON ROUGE - Dozens of students, parents and teachers have alleged everything from civil rights violations to federal law breaking during a school sanctioned field trip.

East Baton Rouge seniors were expecting to attend a college fair, but ended up at what many described as church service, with lectures about suicide and rape.

According to documents, EBR schools agreed to pay 29:11 Ministries $9,800 for the 'Day of Hope.'

The price tag for the field trip was suspiciously just under the $10,000 threshold for the school board to have to vote on it.

School board vice president Dawn Chanet Collins says the event would have come under a lot more scrutiny if it had to go through them.

"It is incumbent upon us as a school system to make sure we put some checks in place to ensure that when those types of stories and experiences are shared, it's shared in a manner and a format that does not cause more trauma," Collins said.

The school system told WBRZ they have not paid the full amount yet, because they haven't gotten the invoice from 29:11 Ministries. A source said the school system will not pay for the Day of Hope field trip.

Organization leader Tremaine Sterling did not reply to calls or emails Tuesday.

After our 6 o'clock broadcast, the school district offered a response that didn't add up — insinuating it never did any background research on the group that hosted Day of Hope, the 29:11 organization.

Up Next: The extended forecast is looking rather pleasant. Breezy conditions will persist through Thursday. The remainder of the workweek will feature clear skies, highs in the low to mid 80s and lows in the upper 50s. Winds will ease over the weekend as temperatures gradually moderate with highs in the upper 80s and lows in the low to mid 60s. Still, no rain chances are currently advertised through the early next week. CLICK HERE for your detailed 7-Day Forecast.

The Tropics: Hurricane Ian continues strengthening in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. As of 4pm Tuesday, Ian was producing 125mph maximum sustained winds southwest of the Dry Tortugas and moving north at 10mph. The storm will gradually turn north and then northeast while continuing to strengthen on approach to the west coast of Florida through Wednesday. Maximum storm surge of 8-12 feet is expected including 4-7 feet in Tampa Bay. Parts of central west Florida will experience hurricane conditions with 12-16 inches of rain. The slowing forward speed of Ian could cause some much higher amounts.

An area of low pressure located several hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands continues to produce disorganized showers and thunderstorms. This activity has changed little in organization over the last two days. Upper-level winds still appear favorable for some additional development, and there is a sixty percent chance of a short-lived tropical depression over the next couple of days. Further development will become less likely by the end of the week due to increasing upper-level winds. The disturbance is forecast to meander for the next day or so and then turn north-northwestward by Thursday.

The Explanation: Thermometers will stay below average relative to their daypart for nearly a week. Dew point temperatures will be in the 40s and 50s for several days leading to very low humidity. Meanwhile, winds will increase due to the pressure gradient between Hurricane Ian to our southeast and a surface high to our northeast. The breezy conditions coupled with the low relative humidity will bring a rise in fire weather conditions through Thursday. In general, winds will be around 10-15mph, but some higher gusts are possible, especially closer to the coast and I-55. By the weekend, the pressure gradient will weaken and allow winds to slacken as Ian moves inland and loses intensity. Temperatures will gradually moderate. 

--Josh

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Shepperd was arrested in 2018 on armed robbery and attempted murder charges.

As of Tuesday morning, Shepperd had not been recaptured. U.S. Marshals are reportedly assisting WBRSO deputies in the search.

This is a developing story.