| Advisory opinion request as to whether the Code of Governmental Ethics would prohibit Shannon Stout from providing compensated services to a company that sells educational programs while she is employed with Livingston Parish Public Schools. |
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Shannon Stout is employed as a K-5 Facilitator in the Curriculum Department with LPPS. She is considering working as a trainer for Amplify, a company that sells educational programs, during holidays and the summer months when she is not working at LPPS. Her duties as a K-5 Facilitator do not include any type of training responsibilities.
A committee of teachers and administrators was formed by LPPS to make the decision to purchase phonics materials seven years ago from Amplify. Since that time, the Textbook Department with LPPS has purchased books from Amplify on a limited basis to replace books that were lost or damaged.
The decision for purchasing these readers and textbooks did not involve the Curriculum Department. In the future, a committee of teachers and administrators will be utilized to decide which products will be purchased related to educational programs. The Textbook Department makes the decisions as to which vendor is selected based on quotes from the available vendors; therefore, the Curriculum Department has no say in these matters.
During the previous school year, Dawn Rush, the Director of the Curriculum Department, requested to utilize available grant money to pay Amplify to provide professional development classes to teachers employed by LPPS. Ms. Stout does not anticipate that Amplify will provide these services in the future because there are no grant funds available to pay for it. LPPS does not have a current contract with Amplify or an ongoing relationship with Amplify.
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La. R.S. 1111C(2)(d) prohibits a public servant from receiving anything of economic value for services rendered to or for a person who has, or is seeking to obtain, a contractual, business, or financial relationship with the public servant's agency.
La. R.S. 42:1111A(1) prohibits a public servant from receiving any thing of economic value, other than compensation and benefits from the governmental entity to which he is duly entitled, for the performance of the duties and responsibilities of his office and position.
La. R.S. 42:1111C(1)(a) prohibits a public servant from receiving any thing of economic value for any service, the subject matter of which is devoted substantially to the responsibilities, programs, or operations of the agency of the public servant and in which the public servant has participated.
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Adopt the proposed advisory opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Jennifer Land |
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