BATON ROUGE — Former Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony charges connected to the disappearance of an ancient cypress board that is considered a state artifact.

Schexnayder was indicted and arrested in November after the board was last seen in his Gonzales legislative office. He was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges of felony theft over $25,000 and felony malfeasance in office.

Schexnayder did not answer questions after his Thursday court appearance. 

The indictment, filed by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, spans just one page and offers limited detail about how or why prosecutors believe Schexnayder stole the state-owned artifact. The board, which once hung inside the State Capitol, holds both historical and cultural significance.

The state received the board as a donation in the 1950s from Walter Stebbins. According to family members, the wood came from one of the last cypress trees harvested in Livingston Parish during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The board measures roughly 20 feet in length.

Legal analyst and retired LSU professor Robert Mann said the indictment lacks specificity about the alleged crime.

“This indictment doesn't really give you any indication of the nature of the crime,” Mann said.

Mann also questions the timeline laid out in the charging documents. Prosecutors allege the crime occurred sometime between 2012 and 2025 — a range Mann says creates potential legal issues.

“So it's kind of odd that they would file charges for a crime which, if it happened in the early part of that time range, would no longer be indictable,” Mann said.

Beyond the timeline, Mann says the case appears to lack evidence of a thorough investigation, making it unusual by legal standards.

“There doesn't appear to be much evidence that there was a real investigation of this crime,” he said.

Experts say the case stands out when compared to past indictments involving former state House speakers.

“Then there's this one, stealing a piece of wood, and it just doesn't fit with the rest,” Mann added.

Schexnayder is scheduled to return to court on February 4. The Attorney General’s Office, which is assisting with the case, declined to comment Wednesday, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.