Meetings
 
Agenda Item
Docket No. 21-149
 
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RE:
Request for an advisory opinion and disqualification plan from Stephanie Goudeau, Interim Director at Slaughter Community Charter School relative to her husband being employed at the school. Slaughter has a population of 997 and is located in East Feliciana Parish.
Facts:
Jacob Goudeau was hired by Slaughter Community Charter School as a certified teacher and coach in January 2013. In September 2014, Stephanie Goudeau was hired by Slaughter Community Charter School. In January 2021, Stephanie Goudeau was promoted to Interim Director.

To void any potential conflict of interest, Peggy Reno, the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, will supervise Jacob Goudeau, including completing any professional evaluations; overseeing his professional growth plan and student learning goals; and, approving his vacation/leave requests. In addition, the school board president, Melissa Wyatt, together with the Chief Financial Officer, Jeremy Jones, will execute his employment contract and monitor his salary payments and benefits. Ms. Goudeau would not sign any payments for her husband.

Law:
La. R.S. 42:1119B provides no member of the immediate family of a member of a governing authority or the chief executive of a governmental entity shall be employed by the governmental entity.
La. R.S. 42:1119B(2)(a)(i) permits the school board to employ an immediate family member of a school board member and the superintendent, provided the family member is certified to teach and teaching in a classroom.

La. R.S. 42:1119C(2) provides that the provisions of this Section shall not prohibit the continued employment of any public employee nor shall it be construed to hinder, alter, or in any way affect normal promotional advancements for such public employee where a member of public employee's immediate family becomes the agency head of such public employee's agency, provided that such public employee has been employed in the agency for a period of at least one year prior to the member of the public employee's immediate family becoming the agency head.

La. R.S. 42:1112B(1) states that no public servant shall participate in a transaction involving the governmental entity in which, to his actual knowledge, any member of his immediate family has a substantial economic interest.
La. R.S. 42:1112C allows a disqualification plan to be developed in accordance with rules adopted by the Board to remove a public servant from participating in transactions that would otherwise present violations of Section 1112 of the Code.

Recommendations:
Approve disqualification plan.
Assigned Attorney: Greg Thibodeaux
 
 
ATTACHMENTS:
Description:
2021-149 AO Draft - Goudeau
2021-149 - Signed Advisory Opinion Request Stephanie Goudeau
2021-271 - Disqualification Plan Stephanie Goudeau