FILE:  BH

Cf:  ABC, GAJ

SCHOOL BOARD ETHICS

Recognizing that as a member of a public school board and that each Board member is filling a position of public trust, responsibility, and authority endowed by the State of Louisiana, the Acadia Parish School Board, individually and collectively, shall subscribe to the principles of the Louisiana School Boards Association, by which a school board member should be guided.

In addition, certain actions of elected officials may be considered improper, and in some circumstances, illegal.  Actions which may present a conflict of interest, acceptance of gifts, or solicitations, or gratuities, abuse of authority of office or position, and decisions regarding the employment of a family member of an official are all subject to statutory restrictions.  The ethical conduct of Board members, as well as other designated officials, shall be in accordance with state law.

GIFTS

Acceptance of personal gifts by any Board member or employee of the Acadia Parish School Board from persons or firms doing business with the School Board, or any department or school thereof, is prohibited.  Reduced cost and/or free travel expenses are also defined as gifts with regard to this policy provision.  This policy provision does not preclude acceptance of food, drinks, or refreshment of a social nature or participation in a social event, provided the value of the food, drink, or refreshment does not exceed that amount permitted under state law.  It also shall not preclude the acceptance of campaign contributions for use in meeting campaign expenses by any employee or Board member who is or becomes a candidate for election to any public office.

NEPOTISM

No member of the immediate family of an agency head shall be employed in his/her agency.  No member of the immediate family of a member of a governing authority or the chief executive of a governmental entity shall be employed by the governmental entity, with limited exception as outlined below.

The provisions above shall not prohibit the continued employment of any public  employee nor shall it be construed to hinder, alter, or in any way affect normal promotional advancements for such public employee where a member of a public employee's immediate family becomes the agency head of such public employee's agency, provided that such public employee has been employed in the agency for a period of at least one year prior to the member of the public employee's immediate family becoming the agency head.

Exceptions

Any School Board member or Superintendent whose immediate family member is employed or who may be employed, as excepted below, shall recuse himself/herself from any decision involving the promotion or assignment of teaching or service location of such employee.

1. Any member of the immediate family of any Board member or the Superintendent may be employed as a classroom teacher provided that such family member is certified to teach. 
   
   

2. An immediate family member of an athletic director of a school may be employed as a coach at such school.

ABUSE OF OFFICE

No School Board member, Superintendent, or employee shall use the authority of his/her office or position, directly or indirectly, in a manner intended to compel or coerce any person or other public servant to provide himself/herself, any other public servant, or other person with any thing of economic value.

No School Board member, Superintendent, or employee shall use the authority of his/her office or position, directly or indirectly, in a manner intended to compel or coerce any person or other public servant to engage in political activity.

No School Board member shall act in an individual capacity to use the authority of his/her office or position as a member of the School Board in a manner intended to interfere with, compel or coerce any personnel decision, including the hiring, promotion, discipline, demotion, transfer, discharge, or assignment of work to any school employee.

No School Board member shall use the authority of his/her office or position as a member of the School Board in a manner intended to interfere with, compel, or coerce any school employee to make any decision concerning benefits, work assignment, or membership in any organization.

TRANSACTIONS AFTER TERMINATION OF PUBLIC SERVICE

No former agency head or elected official shall, for a period of two (2) years following the termination of his/her public service as the head of such agency or as an elected public official serving in such agency, assist another person, for compensation, in a transaction, or in an appearance in connection with a transaction, involving that agency or render any service on a contractual basis to or for the Board.

No former member of the School Board shall, for a period of two (2) years following the termination of his/her public service on such Board, contract with, be employed in any capacity by, or be appointed to any position by the Board, except that the School Board may employ a former member for any classroom teaching position which requires a valid Louisiana teaching certificate or a school psychologist with a valid certificate in school psychology, provided the former School Board member holds such a certificate. 

No former School Board employee shall, for a period of two (2) years following the termination of his/her employment, assist another person, for compensation, in a transaction, or in an appearance in connection with a transaction in which such former public employee participated at any time during his/her public employment and involving the School Board by which he/she was formerly employed, or for a period of two (2) such years following termination of his/her employment, render any service which such former public employee has rendered to the School Board during the term of his/her public employment on a contractual basis, regardless of the parties to the contract, to, for, or on behalf of the School Board with which he/she was formerly employed.

DEFINITIONS

Agency means a department, office, division, agency, commission, board, committee, or other organizational unit of a governmental entity.  For public servants of political subdivisions, it shall mean the agency in which the public servant serves, except that for members of any governing authority and for the elected or appointed chief executive of a governmental entity, it shall mean the governmental entity.

Agency head means the chief executive or administrative officer of an agency or any member of a board or commission who exercises supervision over the agency.

Immediate family as the term relates to a public servant means his/her children, the spouses of his/her children, his/her brothers and their spouses, his/her sisters and their spouses, his/her parents, his/her spouse, and the parents of his/her spouse.

Public servant means a public employee or an elected official.

Ref:     La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 17:428, 42:62, 42:1101, 42:1102, 42:1112, 42:1115, 42:1115.1, 42:1116, 42:1119, 42:1121, 42:1123, 42:1170

Board minutes, 4-3-00, 2-5-07, 2-2-09, 12-6-10, 9-10-12

Acadia Parish School Board