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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> F LOUD DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> P.O.BOX 4368 <br /> BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> (225)219-5600 <br /> FAX:(225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.state.Ia.us <br /> July 11, 2022 <br /> Toni Celestine <br /> 109 Emerald Down Drive <br /> Lafayette, Louisiana 70507 <br /> Re: Docket No. 2022-354 <br /> Advisory Opinion <br /> Dear Ms. Celestine: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its meeting on July 8, 2022, considered your request for an <br /> advisory opinion as to whether the Code of Governmental Ethics ("Code") would prohibit you <br /> from offering services to parents and students transitioning from high school diplomas to college <br /> degrees. <br /> FACTS PROVIDED <br /> South Louisiana Community College ("SLCC"), located in Lafayette, is a part of the Louisiana <br /> Community and Technical College System. You are employed by SLCC as the Director of Career <br /> and Testing Services in the Office of Student Services. Your job duties include providing <br /> professional development assistance to students; hosting career and transfer fair events; <br /> networking with industry partners; and, administering and proctoring college and community <br /> partners'exams. <br /> You recently created Read the Syllabus, a nonprofit organization.You would like to aid parents of <br /> high school students who are transitioning to college. You intend to offer virtual meetings to <br /> provide information that will help parents support their students. You do not intend to receive <br /> compensation for these services; however, you would consider accepting donations. You stated <br /> that you would not recruit students for any college in particular, including SLCC. <br /> LAw <br /> La. R.S. 42:1111(C)(1)(a) provides that no public servant shall receive any thing of economic <br /> value for any service, the subject matter of which is devoted substantially to the responsibilities, <br /> programs, or operations of the agency of the public servant and in which the public servant has <br /> participated; <br /> La. R.S. 42:1115 provides the following with regard to soliciting gifts or donations: <br /> A. No public servant shall solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any thing of <br /> economic value as a gift or gratuity from any person or from any officer, director, <br /> Page 1 of 3 (BD 2022-354) <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />