| Advisory Opinion request as to whether the Code of Governmental Ethics ("Code") permits Jeanie Decuers to provide consulting services for public schools in Orleans Parish within two years following the termination of her employment with the Orleans Parish School Board. |
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Ms. Decuers previously served as the Executive Director of Capital Improvements for the Orleans Parish School Board until her retirement on August 18, 2023. In that role, she served in the Operations Department, Facilities Division of the Orleans Parish School Board. Her supervisor was the Chief Operations Officer for the Orleans Parish School Board.
As the Executive Director for Capital Improvements, Ms. Decuers oversaw the 10-Year Capital Plan for the District, which are schools that are publicly funded but independently run, meaning they are not operated by a traditional public school district but instead, operate under an independent contract or charter between an authorizing agency and a charter organization. The 10-Year Capital Plan was driven by legislative law, La. R.S. 17:100.11- the School Facilities Preservation Program ("SFPP"). Therefore, her role was limited to oversight of the 10-Year Capital Plan, driven by the policy and procedures created from legislative law. A third-party firm was procured to develop the school assessments, which drove the capital projects plan. Once projects were developed, a procured third-party project management firm managed the project.
Ms. Decuers now wants to provide consulting services for contracted charter schools' administration and staff. This would involve consulting on the planning, executing, and optimizing processes for school facilities regarding daily operational needs to include proper maintenance of buildings and grounds, while ensuring safety and comfort of occupants, emergency preparedness planning, and managing resources efficiently. The goal is to assist and guide schools with their facility needs to ensure the smooth operation of schools so that staff members, teachers, and students can be safe and achieve educational goals.
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La. R.S. 42:1121B(1) provides that no former public employee shall, for a period of two years following the termination of his public employment, assist another person, for compensation, in a transaction, or in an appearance in connection with a transaction in which such former public employee participated at any time during his public employment and involving the governmental entity by which he was formerly employed, or for a period of two years following termination of his public employment, render, any service which such former public employee had rendered to the agency during the term of his public employment on a contractual basis, regardless of the parties to the contract, to, for, or on behalf of the agency with which he was formerly employed.
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Adopt the proposed Advisory Opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Mallory Guillot |
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