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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5825 NepotismPERSONNEL 5240 Page 1 of 3 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 NEPOTISM 1. Purpose To promote ethical conduct, prevent favoritism, and ensure fair and impartial supervision and evaluation within the District, this policy establishes procedures to avoid actual or perceived conflicts of interest arising from personal relationships among employees. 2. Policy Statement Administrators or supervisors shall not be responsible for the supervision and/or evaluation of any employee to whom they are related or with whom they have a close personal relationship, in order to avoid conflicts of interest, favoritism, or the appearance thereof. 3. Guidelines A. Prohibited Supervision and Evaluation i. No District employee shall directly or indirectly supervise another employee who is a relative or closely affiliated individual when the salary, wages, pay, or compensation of the related employee is paid from public funds. ii. No District employee shall evaluate the job performance, participate in promotion decisions, or recommend salary adjustments for a relative or closely affiliated individual. B. Transfer or Reassignment i. When a conflict of interest exists or is likely to arise, employees may be reassigned to different buildings, departments, or placed under alternative supervision to eliminate the conflict. C. Disclosure Requirements i. All employees are required to disclose to the Human Resources Department any personal, familial, or romantic relationship that may constitute a conflict of interest under this policy. Such disclosures must be made promptly upon employment or upon a change in relationship status. D. Recusal from Hiring Committees i. No employee, trustee, or community member shall participate in any part of the hiring process — including reviewing applications, interviewing PERSONNEL 5240 Page 2 of 3 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 candidates, or making hiring recommendations — when a relative or closely affiliated individual is an applicant for the vacant position. ii. Employees and trustees must recuse themselves from all hiring committees and decisions where a conflict of interest exists or could reasonably be perceived to exist. E. Prohibition on Employment of Trustees and Spouses i. In accordance with Idaho Code 33–507 and Board Policy 1610, no trustee or their spouse shall be employed by the District in any capacity. 1. This prohibition applies to all positions—whether certificated, non- certificated, at-will, contracted roles, work agreements, or supplemental contracts—including any position funded by District resources (such as extracurricular coaching, advising, or similar roles). F. Exceptions and Conflict of Interest Plans i. Any deviation from this policy must be approved in advance by the Board of Trustees. ii. When an exception is granted, a written Conflict of Interest Plan must be developed by the Superintendent or designee. The plan shall: 1. Describe the nature of the relationship and justification for the exception. 2. Identify measures to prevent actual or perceived favoritism (e.g., assigning an alternate evaluator, oversight by an independent administrator). 3. Identify how concerns or complaints involving the relative of the Supervisor will be addressed to avoid an actual or perceived conflict of interest. 4. Include a timeline for periodic review of the arrangement. 5. Be signed by all involved parties and filed with Human Resources. iii. Appeals and Concerns 1. Employees who believe a conflict of interest exists or who are impacted by one may confidentially report concerns to Human Resources or the Superintendent’s office for review. PERSONNEL 5240 Page 3 of 3 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 2. Appeals of decisions made under this policy shall follow the procedures outlined in Board Policy U-4301 – Uniform Grievance Policy. 4. Policy Review A. This policy shall be reviewed every three (3) years by Human Resources and legal counsel to ensure relevance and compliance with applicable laws and best practices. 5. Definitions A. Relative: For purposes of this policy, a relative includes any of the following relationships: i. Immediate family: father, mother, step-parent, spouse, domestic partner, fiancé(e), son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, or ward. ii. Siblings: brother, sister, half-sibling, step-sibling. iii. Extended family: uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, grandparent, grandchild. iv. In-laws: mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in- law, daughter-in-law, and may include grandparent-in-law or grandchild-in- law. v. Other relationships: any individual residing in the same household or engaged in a romantic or familial relationship with the employee. B. Supervisor: An individual with the authority to recommend or approve appointment, promotion, salary, evaluation, termination, discipline, or other personnel actions. C. Conflict of Interest: A situation where an individual’s personal relationships may compromise or appear to compromise the objectivity or fairness of employment-related decisions. 6. Legal Reference: A. Idaho Code § 18-1359 Adopted: 12-14-2005 Reviewed: Revised: 09-13-2017 09-10-2025