Conflicts of interest

• A school board member’s brother has applied for a job with their district. Can the district hire the board member’s brother?  
• A district vendor wants to thank the district for its business by taking board members to dinner at the nicest restaurant in town. Can the board members accept this offer? 
• A board member’s child has an individualized education program (IEP) with the district. Can the board member attend IEP team meetings for their child?

In this Legal Ledger Sidebar, Jennie Hardin and Dustin Koslen discuss the Ohio Ethics Law’s restrictions related to conflicts of interest for board members. Included among the topics are who is subject to the law, how the law works in real-world situations, and resources for board members.