| Advisory opinion request regarding 1) whether the Code of Governmental Ethics (Code) would prohibit Mr. Romero, a newly elected Orleans Parish School Board member from continuing his employment with the Einstein Group and 2) whether the Code would prohibit his business, Romero Education Strategies, LLC, from consulting with schools in the district. |
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Mr. Romero was elected to the Orleans Parish School Board on December 5, 2020. He is currently employed with Einstein Group, Inc., a non-profit that runs four charter schools in New Orleans: Sherwood Forest Elementary School, Village de l'Est Elementary School, Einstein Middle School, and Sarah T. Reed High School. He serves as the lead development coach within the Einstein network. He stated if an issue with any Einstein School was to appear on the School Board agenda he would recuse himself. The four Einstein Charter Schools are under the supervision and jurisdiction of the Orleans Parish School Board.
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La. R.S. 42:1111C(2)(d) provides that no public servant and no legal entity in which the public servant exercises control or owns an interest in excess of twenty-five percent, shall receive any thing of economic value for or in consideration of services rendered, or to be rendered, to or for any person during his public service unless such services are: (d) Neither performed for nor compensated by any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if such public servant knows or reasonably should know that such person has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant's agency; conducts operations or activities which are regulated by the public employee's agency; or has substantial economic interests which may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the public employee's official duty.
La. R.S. 42:1113A(1)(a) - No public or a member of such public servant's immediate family
or a legal entity in which he has controlling interest shall bid on or enter
into any contract, subcontract or other transaction that is under the
supervision or jurisdiction of the public servant's agency.
La. R.S. 42:1102(8) defines "controlling interest" to mean any ownership in any legal entity or beneficial interest in a trust, held by or on behalf of an individual or a member of his immediate family, either individually or collectively, which exceeds twenty-five percent of that legal entity.
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Adopt Draft Advisory Opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Suzanne Mooney |
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