| Waiver request submitted by Alaina Wallace Nichols, Franklin Parish School Board, regarding a $400 late fee assessed for filing her 2021 School Board Disclosure 377 days late. |
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Alaina W. Nichols stated she is not one to ignore deadlines. She completed her SBD and gave it to the Franklin Parish School Board Secretary, as she had done in previous years. During that time, the secretary retired and someone else was hired. Unbeknownst to Mrs. Nichols, the BOE never received her SBD. She learned that other members without immediate family to report would file a blank form. However, for 2021 their blank forms were also not received by the BOE. Mrs. Nichols stated she can only assume that wherever those other board members' forms are, her completed SBD is with them. She understands she is responsible for turning in her paperwork, but she feels she should not bear a fine as her "punishment" since the disclosure had all of the correct information listed. She works hard to keep a clean record and does everything with integrity while serving her school district with honor. Mrs. Nichols stated this fine will be a financial hardship and she plans on submitting her forms herself going forward to ensure prompt filing. She asks the Ethics Board to please consider her case and waive her fine since she has filed her disclosures timely in the past.
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TYPE OF REPORT: 2021 School Board Disclosure
ORIGINAL FILING DATE: 09/15/2021
DATE NOD RECEIVED: 09/26/2022
DATE REPORT FILED: 09/27/2022
DAYS LATE FROM NOD: 377 days
ASSESSED LATE FEE: $400
PRIOR/OUTSTANDING DISCLOSURE LATE FEES: None
PRIOR/OUTSTANDING CF LATE FEES: None
OUTSTANDING DISCLOSURE REPORTS: None
PRIOR EXPERIENCE: Been filing since 2018
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La. R.S. 42:1119B(2)(a)(iii) by September fifteenth of each school year, any school board member or superintendent whose immediate family member is employed by the school board shall file a disclosure statement with the Board of Ethics stating the facts of such employment. Any person who fails to timely file a disclosure statement under this Item may be assessed a late fee of fifty dollars per day, not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars, subject to the provisions of R.S. 42:1157.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Tracy Barker |
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