| Advisory Opinion request regarding whether the Code of Governmental Ethics ("Code") permits the employment of Alicia Powell at Jena High School while her husband serves as Principal of Jena High School. |
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Alicia Powell has been a secondary teacher at Jena High School since August 12, 2015. Her husband, Adam Powell, was promoted to Principal of Jena High School on February 1, 2022. During the 2024-2025 school year, Alicia Powell signed up to be an assistant coach for the girls' basketball team at Jena High School. She also will be able to drive buses for the district, including Jena High School athletics. Lasalle Parish School system proposes that matters involving Alicia Powell's employment be handled by the Secondary Instructional Supervisor Tania Taylor at the Central Office. Decisions related to Alicia Powell's assignment as a bus driver will be handled by the Transportation Supervisor Travis Glenn. In the event that Alicia Powell is assigned as driver for Jena High School, Principal Adam Powell would not be able to compensate her from the school fund; someone else would have to initiate her compensation.
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La. R.S. 42:1119A. No member of the immediate family of an agency head shall be employed in his agency.
La. R.S. 42:1119C(1). Any person serving in public employment on the effective date of this Section, whose employment is in violation of this Section, may continue in such employment and the provisions of this Section shall not be construed to hinder, alter, or in any way affect normal promotional advancements in public employment for such employee.
La. R.S. 42:1119C(2). 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 employees' 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. No public servant, except as provided in R.S. 42:1120, shall participate in a transaction involving the governmental entity in which, to his actual knowledge, any of the following persons has a substantial economic interest:
(1) Any member of his immediate family.
La. R.S. 42:1112C. Every public employee, excluding an appointed member of any board or commission, shall disqualify himself from participating in a transaction involving the governmental entity when a violation of this Part would result. The procedures for such disqualification shall be established by regulations issued pursuant to R.S. 42:1134(A)(1).
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Adopt the proposed Advisory Opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Mallory Guillot |
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