CITY OF NEW YORK CONFLICTS OF INTEREST BOARD

2 Lafayette Street, Suite 1010 New York, New York 10007 (212) 442-1400 Fax: (212) 442-1407 TDD: (212) 442-1443

Steven B. Rosenfeld Chair/Board Member

March 26, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monica Blum Board Member Andrew Irving Board Member Burton Lehman Board Member Erika Thomas-Yuille Board Member ____________ Mark Davies Executive Director Wayne G. Hawley Deputy Executive Director & General Counsel Carolyn Lisa Miller Director of Enforcement Julia Davis Special Counsel & Director of Financial Disclosure Alex Kipp Director of Training & Education Varuni Bhagwant Director of Administration Derick Yu Director of Information Technology

FORMER PRINCIPAL FINED $2,500 FOR APPEARING BEFORE THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE END OF HER DOE EMPLOYMENT. The New York City Conflicts of Interest Board (the Board) has concluded a settlement with a former Principal who appeared before the New York City Department of Education (DOE) within one year of the end of her DOE employment. The former Principal acknowledged that, after leaving DOE in June 2010, she began working at a firm that does business with DOE, specifically by operating a public school in Brooklyn. Throughout the 2010-2011 school year, the former Principal regularly communicated with DOE staff at that public school to provide technical assistance and program development support on behalf of her firm, and communicated with the DOE Office of Portfolio Development about her firms proposal to open a second school, which proposal was later withdrawn. The former Principal admitted that her conduct violated the City of New Yorks conflicts of interest law, which prohibits a former public servant from appearing before that public servants former agency within one year of terminating employment with the agency. The Board fined the former Principal $2,500. (A copy of the disposition is attached.) In setting the amount of the fine, the Board took into account that the former Principal had reported her own conduct to the Board. Without the Principals affirmative and voluntary act in reporting her own violations, the fine imposed upon her would have been significantly higher. The Board took the occasion of this disposition to remind public servants that, once they leave City service, they are prohibited from appearing on behalf of their new employers before their former City agencies within one year of the date of the termination of their City service. Appearing consists of in-person meetings plus any communications by letter, phone, facsimile, or e-mail, including a cc on a letter or an e-mail. Public servants who have any questions about the Citys conflicts of interest law are urged to contact the Board, which can be reached at (212) 442-1400.
Visit our home page at http://nyc.gov/ethics

The Conflicts of Interest Board is the Citys ethics board and is responsible for enforcing Chapter 68 of the New York City Charter, the Citys conflicts of interest law. The Board is composed of five members, appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. Board penalties are civil fines. Carolyn Lisa Miller, Director of Enforcement, handled this case for the Board. The Board does not comment on Board dispositions, except as set forth above. For copies of any additional public documents, e-mail miller@coib.nyc.gov