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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> LOU1� DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> P.O.BOX 4368 <br /> BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> (225)219-5600 <br /> FAX (225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.la.gov <br /> December 17, 2018 <br /> Ms. Karen Milligan <br /> Programs Director, Jefferson Dollars for Scholars <br /> 3100 Ridgelake Drive <br /> Suite 206 <br /> Metairie, LA 70002 <br /> Re: Ethics Board Docket No. 2018-1198 <br /> Dear Ms. Milligan: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its December 14, 2018 meeting, considered your request for an <br /> advisory opinion regarding whether Jefferson Dollars for Scholars may provide gift incentives to <br /> public school employees who act as coordinators for the School Drive, a fund-raiser to provide <br /> scholarships to public school students. You stated that Jefferson Dollars for Scholars is a non-profit <br /> organization that provides college scholarships to high school seniors and enrichment camp <br /> scholarships to elementary school students from Jefferson Parish. You stated that one of the <br /> organization's fund-raising events is the annual "School Drive." Your organization asks every <br /> Jefferson Parish school to participate in the School Drive by having a staff member volunteer to act <br /> as a coordinator for the fund-raiser. You stated that the coordinator's duties include completing <br /> requested School Drive forms and creating fundraisers at their school at a time of their choosing. <br /> The coordinators would host events that do not conflict with their school work duties. You stated <br /> that your organization would like to provide the coordinators with motivating incentives, such as <br /> gifts designated for classroom use only, store gift cards under $50 and gift cards for spa services <br /> under $50. <br /> The Board concluded and instructed me to inform you, that the Louisiana Code of Governmental <br /> Ethics (Code) would not prohibit Jefferson Dollars for Scholars from providing gift incentives to <br /> public school employees who act as coordinators for the "School Drive" where the gift incentives <br /> are designated for classroom use only, but gift cards would be prohibited. Generally, the Code <br /> prohibits a public servant from receiving anything of economic value,other than compensation for <br /> the performance of their duties of employment. La.R.S.42:1111A provides that no public servant <br /> shall receive anything of economic value, other than compensation and benefits from the <br /> governmental entity to which he is duly entitled, for the performance of the duties and <br /> responsibilities of his office or position. Further,La.R.S.42:1115B(2)prohibits a public employee <br /> from soliciting or accepting, directly or indirectly, any thing of economic value as a gift or gratuity <br /> from any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if such public <br /> employee knows or reasonably should know that such person has a substantial economic interest <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />