2021-334 - Laserfiche WebLink

Ethics Board Docket No. 2021-334 Page 7 of 12 B. Upon a determination that any public employee or other person has violated any provision of any law within the jurisdiction of the Board of Ethics except violations of the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act which shall be governed by Chapter 11 of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, the Ethics Adjudicatory Board may remove, suspend, or order a reduction in pay, or demotion of the public employee or other person,or impose a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars, or both. V. OPINION: It is the opinion of the Board that Darren Lewis,while serving as the Principal of the Walter Cohen College Prep Charter School, and his brother-in-law,Derrell Martin,violated Section 1119 of the Code. Section 1119 prohibits the employment of immediate family members of agency heads and members of governing authorities. Section 1119C.permits the employment of an immediate family member of an agency head provided the immediate family member has been continuously employed for at least one year. Derrell Martin became an immediate family member as defined by the Code of Darren Lewis when he married Mr. Martin's sister in 2005. Mr. Martin was employed as the Principal of the Walter Cohen College Prep Charter School on June 1,2018. As the Principal of the Walter Cohen College Prep Charter School,Mr.Martin was an agency head as defined by the Code. As such,Mr. Lewis could only be employed with the Walter Cohen College Prep Charter School while his brother-in-law served as the Principal if he had been continuously employed with the charter school for at least one year prior to Mr. Martin becoming the Principal on June 1, 2018. Therefore, Mr. Lewis' employment as a teacher with the charter school was prohibited.