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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> of Lo U DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> w 0-. It's,Jt <br /> rw,� �°��� LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> P.O. BOX 4368 <br /> BATON ROUGE, LA 70821 <br /> °Oveioe�`� (225)219-5600 <br /> ..o» FAX:(225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.1a.gov <br /> April 7, 2025 <br /> Lisa Smothers <br /> Dream Keepers Academy of Baton Rouge <br /> 2933 Mission Drive <br /> Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70805 <br /> Re: Docket No. 2025-074 <br /> Advisory Opinion <br /> Dear Ms. Smothers: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its April 4, 2025 meeting, considered your advisory opinion <br /> request as to whether the Code of Governmental Ethics (the "Code") permits a non-profit <br /> organization you operate to provide services to a charter school operating under a charter with the <br /> East 'Baton Rouge School Board (the "School Board") while you are employed by the School <br /> Board. <br /> FACTS PROVIDED <br /> You currently serve as the head of the Human Resources Office within the School Board. You also <br /> serve as Chief Executive Officer of Dream Keepers Academy of Baton Rouge("Dream Keepers"), <br /> a non-profit organization that provides tutoring services. <br /> Helix Network of Educational Choices ("Helix") is a Type 1 charter school operating under a <br /> contract with the School Board. <br /> Drearn Keepers would like to contract with Helix to provide tutoring services to students at Helix, <br /> for which Dream Keepers would receive compensation. <br /> LAW <br /> La. R.S. 42:1111C(2)(d) provides that no public servant and no legal entity in which the public <br /> servant exercises control or owns an interest in excess of twenty-five percent, shall receive any <br /> thing of economic value for or in consideration of services rendered, or to be rendered, to or for <br /> any person during his public service unless such services are: (d) Neither performed for nor <br /> compensated Jy any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if <br /> such public servant knows or reasonably should know that such person has or is seeking to obtain <br /> contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant's agency; conducts <br /> operations or activities which are regulated by the public employee's agency; or has substantial <br /> Page 1 of 3 (BD 2025-077) <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />