| Advisory Opinion regarding whether the Garon Paul Atkinson Lewis Foundation, founded by a member of the Iberia Parish School
Board, can utilize School Board property at no charge. |
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Raymond Lewis, District
4 School Board Member, is President of the Garon Paul Atkinson Lewis Foundation (GPAL). He runs GPAL, but receives no
compensation for his services. GPAL and the School Board entered into a truancy contract. The contract may need to be renewed if the School Board does not receive funding from the federal government. The School Board has a vacant school site
which it currently uses for inventory storage. There is a wing of 4 classroom
which could be utilized by GPAL to continue the services of its current
contract. Mr. Lewis would recuse himself from any negotiations
and/or vote on the matter. The Iberia Parish School Board seeks guidance on the following questions:
(1) Whether they can allow the gratuitous use of the facility by GPAL in fulfilling its truancy contractual obligations?
(2) Is there
a prohibition from the School Board paying the utilities of the portion of the building to
be occupied by GPAL?
(3) Should the contract not be renewed, would GPAL be allowed
to continue to occupy the building?
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Ethics Board Docket No. 2021-739.
La. R.S. 42:1111C(2)(d) provides that no public servant and no legal entity in which the public servant exercises control or owns an interest in excess of twenty-five percent, shall receive any thing of economic value for or in consideration of services rendered, or to be rendered, to or for any person during his public service unless such services are: (d) Neither performed for nor compensated by any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if such public servant knows or reasonably should know that such person has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant's agency; conducts operations or activities which are regulated by the public employee's agency; or has substantial economic interests which may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the public employee's official duty.
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Adopt proposed advisory opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Kathryn Calmes |
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