4057 Conflict of Interest - Employees
Employees of the Union Public School District will not engage in any activity that conflicts or raises a reasonable question of conflict with their responsibilities in the school system. Employees shall not:
A. Use any institutional privileges for private gain including, but not limited to, monetary or ideological influence. This includes offering any instruction, special assistance, or consultation for compensation while on school time or assignment, or with the students currently enrolled under the teacher’s supervision unless employed by the district to perform such duties or unless the individual has rented the district’s facilities.
B. Solicit or receive compensation, other than that allowed by law or agreement of the Board of Education, for performance of assigned duties. However, an honorarium for a teacher supervising a student intern may be paid by a college/university, but only as follows: When an honorarium (up to $200 per semester) is granted by a college/university because a district teacher supervised/mentored a student intern enrolled in an education
program (as approved by the Executive Director of Elementary or Secondary Education), such honorarium must be given as a check made out to Union Public Schools (with a notation of the teacher’s name) and the district will disperse the funds to the teacher through the payroll process, less all applicable taxes and deductions. It is also permissible for a college/university to grant a tuition waiver to a district supervising/mentoring teacher.
C. Knowingly authorize or employ the authority or influence of their office to secure authorization of any public contract in which they, or any member of their family, has an interest.
D. Permit commercial exploitation of any professional position.
E. Engage in selling any materials for personal profit to students or parents in the attendance area served by the district while in the employ of the district. Employees may work for a company or agency which sells materials or services to students or their parents provided they do not use school time, school premises or their position to influence and persuade such individuals to engage, purchase or contract with the agency or company for whom they work.
F. Furnish lists of students or parents to anyone selling such materials or services.
G. Use leave time (other than vacation or personal leave), planning or workshop time for any purpose for which it is unintended and use such time for private or personal activity which might involve gain or profit.
H. Create the potential for a conflict of interest by assigning an employee directly related to a supervisor to his/her supervision.
I. Disclose information to any person not entitled to information gained by virtue of the office or employment held, or use such information for personal gain or benefit.
J. No employee, officer, or agent of the district may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by a federal award (federal grant) if he or she has a real or apparent conflict of interest. Such a conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which employee is or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from a firm considered for a contract. The officers, employees, and agents of the district may neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors or parties to subcontracts, except for situations where the financial interest is not substantial or the gift is an unsolicited item of nominal value. For clarification of non-substantial or nominal value, see Board Policy 3010, Prohibited Purchasing Practices Section A, Acceptance of Gratuities or Gifts. Disciplinary action(s) to be applied for violation(s) of this section of the Code of Conduct are outlined in the final paragraph of Board Policy 4021, Employee Code of Conduct for Ethical and Legal Compliance. Upon discovery of an incident, the district will submit communication from the superintendent or designated district representative to the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s Office of Legal Services with information regarding the incident of potential conflict of interest pertaining to the federal award.
Questions regarding the applicability or interpretation of these standards should be directed to the Executive Director of Human Resources.
Revised 6/10/96
Revised 12/8/97
Revised 12/13/04
Revised 1/16/06
Revised 12/10/07
Revised 11/10/08
Revised 12/14/15
Revised 11/14/16
Revised 12/11/17
Revised 12/10/18
Revised 12/11/23