Board Policy 5:130 - Limitations on Accepting Gifts
No District employee or Board member shall solicit or accept a gift that he or she has reason to believe is offered in an effort to influence his or her official position or employment. This ban applies to spouses of, and immediate family members living with a Board member or employee. The following are examples of acceptable gifts:

1. Gifts from relatives or personal friends;
   
   
2. Gifts from an employee or Board member to an employee or Board member;
   
   
3. Gifts from students to teachers that have nominal value;
   
   
4. Food, lodging, transportation, and other benefits;
   
   
   • resulting from outside business or employment activities, or
     
     
   • customarily provided by a prospective employer;
     
     
5. Information or communication materials, such as books, articles, periodicals, audiotapes, or videotapes;
   
   
6. Training (including food and refreshments);
   
   
7. Personal hospitality;
   
   
8. Free attendance at a widely attended forum, dinner, reception, or similar event if attendance is related to the individual's office or job;
   
   
9. Commemorative items;
   
   
10. Golf or tennis, food or refreshments of nominal value, and catered food or refreshments;
    
    
11. Meals or beverages consumed on the premises from which they were purchased; and
    
    
12. Items of nominal value (such as T-shirts, mugs, candy, crafts, or greeting cards).

The Superintendent or designee is the District Ethics Officer. The Ethics Officer shall serve as a resource to employees and Board members regarding this policy. The School Board will serve as the District Ethics Commission. In the event that any Board member is personally involved in a matter being investigated, he or she shall not serve on the Commission during such investigation. The District Ethics Commission shall have those powers and duties as described in the State Gift Ban Act for state-level ethics commissions, including the power to investigate complaints.

Anyone believing that this policy is or was violated is encouraged to file a complaint with the District Ethics Commission. The Commission will follow the procedures for handling complaints given in the State Gift Ban Act. The School Board, as the ultimate jurisdictional authority, may take appropriate enforcement action, such as those described in the State Gift Ban Act.

Lake Forest School District 67
300 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Phone (847) 235-9657   Fax (847) 234-5132
Dr. Harry Griffith, Superintendent
© 2004-2008, Lake Forest School District 67