Charter leader employs six relatives; two may violate state ethics law
The leader of the Friends of King charter school system has hired six relatives, including at least two whose employment appears to violate state ethics laws that ban nepotism.
Chief Executive Officer Doris Roché-Hicks employs her sister, daughter, son-in-law, grandson and great niece. She also employs her son-in-law’s brother.
Three of those relatives, however, fall outside the restrictions against relatives because state law doesn’t consider them “immediate family.”
And Roché-Hicks’ daughter is covered by an exception that allows immediate family members of the head of a school system to work as a classroom teacher as long as she is state-certified and Roché-Hicks doesn’t take part in discussions about her daughter’s performance or participate in any financial transaction with her on behalf of the school.
Roché-Hicks, who has been an educator for close to 40 years, has been recognized locally and nationally for her work in New Orleans. She was principal of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School for Science and Technology in the Lower 9th Ward from 1995 until Hurricane Katrina, except for a year as an area superintendent under Superintendent Al Davis Jr.
Shortly after Katrina, she fought to open King as a charter. Friends of King now runs King and Joseph A. Craig Charter School in Treme. According to payroll records, the two schools had a total of 179 employees last school year.
Ethics law states that the head of a public agency – a chief executive or administrative officer — may not employ members of her immediate family. That includes children, spouses of children, siblings and siblings’ spouses. Although charter schools are generally exempted from laws governing traditional public schools, they have to comply with ethics laws.
Roché-Hicks did not respond to repeated interview requests by phone, email, and by hand-delivered note. Tracie Washington, the lawyer for Friends of King, did not respond to phone calls and emails. The Lens also attempted to reach Hilda Young, the Friends of King board president, and its vice president, Eartha Johnson, by phone and email. Likewise, none of Roché-Hicks’ relatives who work for her responded to requests for comment.
The two relatives whose employment appears to violate