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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> 000,oF LO�is�, <br /> . DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> uu.,. P.O.BOX 4368 <br /> BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> °+,,r (225)219-5600 <br /> FAX:(225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.la.gov <br /> July 23, 2018 <br /> Sheldon Jones, Superintendent <br /> Richland Parish School System <br /> Post Office Box 599 <br /> Rayville, Louisiana 71269 <br /> Re: Ethics Board Docket No.2018-641 <br /> Dear Mr. Jones: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics,at its July 20,2018 meeting,considered your request for an advisory <br /> opinion regarding whether the Hornet Basketball Boosters (Boosters) may donate money to the <br /> Richland Parish School Board to support the 2018-2019 Rayville High School Boys Basketball team <br /> in a specific manner. Specifically, the Boosters would like to donate a certain amount to be <br /> distributed to Head Coach Damon West with an additional amount to be evenly distributed to <br /> Assistant Coaches Billy Green,Antwuan James,Ronald Ellis,and Mack Brown.The Boosters would <br /> like the remaining amount to be deposited into the Rayville High School Boys Basketball Student <br /> Activity Account which is held by Rayville High School. You stated that the Hornet Basketball <br /> Booster account was used to raise and collect donations to support the Rayville High School Boys <br /> Basketball Team and that this account was neither established by nor affiliated with the Richland <br /> Parish School Board or Rayville High School. You stated that the contributors to the Boosters did <br /> not include any vendors, player, player's parents or companies they may own. The additional <br /> compensation, if approved, would be included in the new contract the coaches would sign <br /> subsequent to the Richland Parish School Board meeting on September 11, 2018. Also, the <br /> additional compensation from the Boosters would be considered a one-time distribution within the <br /> new contracts between the Richland Parish School System and the Rayville High School Boys <br /> Basketball coaches. <br /> The Board concluded,and instructed me to inform you,that the Code of Governmental Ethics would <br /> not prohibit the Head Coach and Assistant Coaches of the Rayville High School Boys Basketball <br /> team from receiving compensation through their annual contracts with the Richland Parish School <br /> Board,which includes donated money that originated from the Hornet Basketball Boosters, so long <br /> as the compensation is coming from their governmental entity and not any prohibited source,as per <br /> La. R.S. 42:1115, and the donation to the Richland Parish School Board is not conditional or <br /> restricted. La. R.S. 42:1111A provides that no public servant shall receive anything of economic <br /> value, other than the compensation and benefits from the governmental entity to which he is duly <br /> entitled, for the performance of the duties and responsibilities of his office or position. The origin <br /> of the additional compensation is not from a prohibited source from whom the coaches would be <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />