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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> CF L�Uf DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> Sw�- +IS'S9 <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 /> November 20, 2019 <br /> Leah F. Tapo, School Accounting Auditor <br /> Internal Control Officer <br /> Lafayette Parish School System <br /> P.O. Drawer 2158 <br /> Lafayette, LA 70502 <br /> Re: Board Docket No. 2019-1009 <br /> Dear Ms. Tapo: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its November 15, 2019 meeting, considered your request for an <br /> advisory opinion as whether an employee of the Lafayette Parish School System may contract with <br /> a vendor who has a contract with the Lafayette Parish School System. <br /> FACTS PROVIDED <br /> You stated that Stephanie Reiners is the Curriculum Administrator for the Lafayette Parish School <br /> System (LPSS). You stated her job duties include grant management, support for curriculums and <br /> master teachers, and tutoring programs and that she has been asked by Teaching Lab, a vendor of <br /> LPSS, to provide professional development services to school districts. Teaching Lab provides <br /> professional development guidebooks training to LPSS and has offered Ms. Reiners an <br /> independent contractor agreement to provide school leadership curriculum training. This <br /> agreement would provide compensation for preparation and presenting training, which would take <br /> place after LPSS work hours or on weekends or vacation time. Ms. Reiners did not participate in <br /> the decision-making process when LPSS awarded the contract to Teaching Lab. <br /> LAW <br /> La. R.S. 42:1111C(2)(d) provides that no public servant and no legal entity in which the public <br /> servant exercises control or owns an interest in excess of twenty-five percent, shall receive any <br /> thing of economic value for or in consideration of services rendered, or to be rendered, to or for <br /> any person during his public service unless such services are: (d) Neither performed for nor <br /> compensated by any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if <br /> such public servant knows or reasonably should know that such person has or is seeking to obtain <br /> contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant's agency; conducts <br /> operations or activities which are regulated by the public employee's agency; or has substantial <br /> economic interests which may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of <br /> the public employee's official duty. <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />