Latest news with #LivingstonParishSchoolBoard
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
In Louisiana, it's still safe to call out ethical misdeeds
Gov. Jeff Landry addresses the Louisiana Legislature on opening day of legislative session, Monday, April 14, 2025, at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate-Pool) As Gov. Jeff Landry's assault on state ethics laws continues to unfold, there remains a small glimmer of hope for those who wish to see Louisiana politics to depart from its history of corruption and cronyism. It comes from the demise of House Bill 160, by Rep. Kellee Hennessy Dickerson, R-Denham Springs, which would have removed confidentiality protections from anyone filing an ethics complaint. A tipster's identity would have been revealed to the elected official, lobbyist, public employee or government contractor they accused of wrongdoing, even if the complaint or tip didn't result in an investigation. Dickerson placed multiple hindrances in her bill to deter individuals from coming forward with damning information. To submit a tip, complainants would have been required to submit a notarized, signed document by mail or to deliver it in person to the state ethics administration's offices in downtown Baton Rouge, where they would be required to present identification. The representative insisted tipsters need not feel intimidated because, under her bill, they could sue for damages if they were harassed as a result of submitting a tip or complaint. As with the governor's ethics law upheaval, Dickerson's legislation places the interests of the politically powerful ahead of the individual citizen seeking to do right. The provisions in her bill would have created needless costs, inconvenience and unwarranted public scrutiny for whistleblowers. Dickerson also wanted to limit what materials ethics investigators could use to begin a probe to materials submitted by government agencies and officials. News reports, which triggered 18 ethics investigations from 2020-23, would have been declared off-limits – an especially disappointing restriction given Dickerson's background as a journalist. Her motivation for bringing the bill was clear. As a member of the Livingston Parish School Board, she ran afoul of ethics rules in 2023 when she helped a high school teacher obtain a contract to perform construction work on the same campus – a double-dip that's not allowed under state law. Dickerson, who was running for state representative at the time, was fined $1,500. She said a political opponent brought the incident to the attention of the state ethics board, and she has described the process as 'abusive' and 'very chilling.' The same words could easily apply to her legislation, which fizzled in the Louisiana Senate after ethics board members wrote to senators asking that they shelve the measure. Dickerson credited their letter with killing her bill, calling their action 'harassing.' 'I guess people fear the retaliation of the ethics board being against it,' Dickerson told the Illuminator. No, representative. The only thing public officials should fear are the consequences from breaking ethics laws. But as the governor continues to chip away at what are largely toothless regulations to begin with, there's not so much to be frightened of these days. At least there's some comfort in knowing, at least for now, whistleblowers won't face more scrutiny than the scofflaws they hope to hold accountable. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Audit of Livingston Parish School Board found misappropriated funds
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — An audit of the Livingston Parish School Board revealed two instances of misappropriation. According to an independent audit report by EisnerAmper, experts reviewed financial statements from the school board for the year ending on June 30, 2024. The audit shows several matters involving the misappropriation of funds and alleged theft. Between May 2023 and January 2024, reimbursements of baseball equipment and supplies totaling nearly $29K were submitted by a former employee of the school board. Auditors said this employee was reimbursed for items from a school activity account they were overseeing, and the reimbursements were approved by the principal and paid without verification. The employee was charged with theft and paid restitution to the school board. In September 2024, two withdrawals totaling about $350 from a student activity account were identified as fraudulent. One person was arrested after an investigation by local authorities, and funds were reportedly returned to the school board. Auditors recommend that all employees be reminded of the proper procedures and ethic responsibilities. The recommendation included that employees should not be reimbursed from school accounts without proper authorization. Livingston Parish School Board leaders agree with the auditor's recommendation and said all equipment purchases should be bought using a purchase order or school check directly to the vendor. Chipotle will absorb tariff-related cost increases, CEO says Mid City Gras parade set to roll on March 9 Democrats bringing fired federal workers to Trump speech Bondi says she was misled on Epstein documents Trump doubles down on criticizing Zelensky over comment that end of war is far away Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
