| Request to approve a Disqualification Plan submitted pursuant to the Code of Governmental Ethics on behalf of the Louisiana Department of Health regarding Richard Courtney and his wife, Melissa Courtney, who are employed with Central Louisiana State Hospital. |
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Central Louisiana State Hospital ("CLSH") is a state psychiatric facility located in Pineville, Louisiana. The CLSH Human Resource Department is managed by the Director B, who reports directly to the Behavioral Hospital Administrator of CLSH, Celeste Gautier. The current Director B is Richard Courtney. Mr. Courtney's wife, Melissa Courtney, also works at CLSH as a Health Information Coordinator 2 under the Health Information Management Services (HIMS) Department. Ms. Courtney reports directly to Rachael Wooten, the Health Information Manager.
Mr. Courtney has been employed with the CLSH Human Resource Department as the Human Resource Director B since July 10, 2023, and Melissa Courtney has been employed in CLSH Health Information Management Services Department as Health Information Coordinator since September 16, 2024.
To avoid any potential violation of La. R.S. 42: 1112B(1), the Louisiana Department of Health and CLSH submits the following proposed disqualification plan for approval by the Board in accordance with La. R.S. 42:1112C.
Proposed Disqualification Plan
Richard Courtney will recuse himself from any HR related actions, including but not limited to, refraining from participating in any decisions regarding Melissa Courtney's leave requests/approvals, performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, pay increases, promotions, demotions, or any activity that pertains to his spouse's employment with CLSH. Any employment decisions or activities regarding Melissa Courtney that would normally be performed by Human Resource Director B will be assigned to the Behavioral Hospital Administrator Celeste Gautier of CLSH.
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La. R.S. 42:1112B(1) provides 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.
La. R.S. 42:1102(2)(a)(i) defines "agency" to mean a department, office, division, agency, commission, board, committee, or other organizational unit of a governmental entity.
La. R.S. 42:1102(3) defines "agency head" to mean the chief executive or administrative officer of an agency.
La. R.S. 42:1102(13) defines "immediate family" as the term relates to a public servant to mean his children, the spouses of his children, his brothers and their spouses, his sisters and their spouses, his parents, his spouse, and the parents of his spouse.
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Approve Disqualification Plan.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Suzanne Mooney |
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