LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) Lafayette Consolidated Government officials say an electronic message board positioned along the Evangeline Thruway near 11th street Friday morning was likely reprogrammed to display a vulgar message about the President of the United States.

The sign was supposed to show that there was construction ahead and to use an alternate route, instead it displayed the message F*** JOE BIDEN.

One resident who lives near the sign told News 10 she was appalled when she saw it.

“I couldn’t believe it. The disrespect is real. You can have your own opinion and not feel like you have to hold your tongue, but you do not put it out there like that.”

LCG Chief Administrative Officer Cydra Wingerter says it is possible someone hacked into the system overnight due to a weak password guarding the system.

“It is a generic password that if you are familiar in the construction industry, you can get in there and can use the password to get in and then change the message on the sign.”

She said a contractor with LCG was hired to do road work along Pinhook Road near the Thruway intersection and as part of the contract, a message board was put out to advise motorists to be aware of construction going on ahead.

Wingerter says there will be an investigation into who got into the system and changed the messaging.

“It has been turned over to Lafayette Police to investigate,” she said.

With the password apparently being generic where a lot of people can know it, Wingerter said it will not be easy to identify who did hacked into the system.

“The police are doing other courses and looking into other ways to potentially find out who did this.”