JIM MATTOX AttorneyGeneral

**SuProme**

**CQun Building**  **P. 0.** **Box ta4a**  **Aurtln. TX.** **757t1.254s 51214752501**  **Tdex.5lW57C1257 Td.co@n**  **5lZ475.0255**

**714 Jlcluon.** **Suite 700**  **oalla& TX.** **752024505 2141742.S!%** 

**4824 Alberta** **Ave.. suite** **150 El** **Pm.o. TX.** **70205.2193 01-** 

**1001 Tqxu.** **Suite 7~0**  **.~. HQY4tOn.** 

**TX. 77002.2111**  **712f22%x5**

**w5 aroadway.** 

**suit. 312** **’ Lubbock** **TX. 7S4al-247S**  **Soa747-5225**

**008 N.** **Tmth, SuIta** **8 McAllm.** **TX. 7s5ol-16s5**  **: 512mS2.4547**  **ea.. ,~.**  **200 MaIn** **Plaza, Sut4** **400** ***** **San Antonlo,** 

**TX 7S2os27m7**  **512m5.4191 ;:,.**  **; ’** 

**_..** provided, that nothins herein contained... &all :prrevmt. the appolnmt, votlnS 

### for, or cmflrmrtloo of cay person who shall have hem 

### cmtlnuuuely .emplayed:in my 8UCh off+. porltlaa:~-clerkablp, .emplmt or duty for 

### a ;*"perlod olftwo (2) 

### yeero'ptir to the election or fi' appaintmmt of 

### the officer or memberappointing. :'votinS *or. or -confitning the 

### l ppolntmeat, or 

### to c. the 

### l

lm~ction

or l ppoinwt 

### of the officer or m&er't~latcd to mcb ~cmployeelo the prohibited degree; :~ : _~.


### ..-. 2 ..- hcr8.~1,951,~;5296..Irq., c b 97;~at:,l59 

### (formerl rtfcle 5996a. V.T.C.S.). 

### . ~Actes:1985,~~5!$b.%eS:,,eh;.lS2, d.:800-01 

### (amendment by Senate Bill ~.lo,..599.$o -quotti$.lan~uaSe ~offectivo.,May 24. 1985). Tbla provision ~~~e$loVed.tbe~~+r to contimu her +@yamt In the dlatrlct but did 

### aat :.allarr .the, board 

### of trustoemto treneforher 

### to l dlffermt 

### 'poeltlon.**Attqsoq** General Opiniona JM-288 (1984); M-671 (1970); Letter Advisory No. 69 (1973). 

# TheAttorney General ofTexas

October 29, 1985

Ur. U. 1. Kirby Colldlreloner of Educatloe TexacoEducation **Agency** 201 Saw Bleventh Street Auatln, Texan 78701 Opid.an **No.** JX-371 Be: whether l teacher promtad to reglatrar In a school dlatrlct wbere her hueband serves on the board of truatee8. and related questlons tray be

Dear Hr. Kirby: Tou request 

### ILCI

lnterpretatlon

of the nepotism law, article 5996a. V.T.C.S., wblch prohibits a board of echool trustee8 from employing any

### permn related within a prohibited degree to 

### aboard medcr. 

### YOU state tbat an lni.ivldual was otlgl~lly qloycd as a teacher by an lndepmdmt school dlotrlct ln 

### August 1974. .Xierhusband, a relative vlthln the degree 

## of l fflnlty wbject to the nepotlm lav. became a trustee 

### of the di.at.rlct ia April 1978. See Attorney General Opinion 

### V-785 (1949). Sioco the teacher had byxt time been employed for forty-five montha contlnuoualy, rhe vae 

### l lloved to continue working 

### for the 

### l

chool d.letrlct under the grandfather provision of 

### the nepatlm kv thm ineffect:

*
p. 1700 .Hr. W. N. Kirby - P#ISS2 (JM-371)

In July **of** 19:'9. the board of trustees promoted tha teacher to high school rag18t:car. Accordtag to the Information you have submitted. she was :g:Lventhe registrar position at her teacher’s daily salary rate plus emadditional ten days **of** employment. Eer contract and the school records placed her **at** pay grade eight, although ths registrar position **LIB**customarily classlflcd as a grade 10Bposition. The trustees’ action In promoting this lndlvvidual **to** registrar violated the nepot~lm statute. The ma year proviso of the former nepotism **statute,** quoted above, allowed the teacher to keep the “office. position, ~:larkshlp. employment or duty” In which she had been continuously tmployed for at least two years before her husband became a trustee. **Attorney** General Opinion JM-234 (1984); Letter Advisory No. 69 (1973). It did not authorize the board to appoint her to a different position. 

### even a less remunerative ode, 

### or to assign her additional day11of vork. **Attorney** General Opinion MU-135 (1980); Letter Advisory No. 69 (1973). The Taas Education Agency has concluded that he:: promotion to registrar violated article 5996a. V.T.C.S.. andwe a(;rhe wlth this conclusion. The school dlstrlct viabes to continue this amployee as registrar. You auk whether the district may return her to a pay status identical **to** that which she maintained before the promotion but allow her to coutlme to perform her duties as registrar.

**Your** qusstlotl about potential action- by the school trustees requires us to lntm~rst article 5996a, V.T.C.S., as amendedby Senate Bill No. 599 of ,tbe Slxty-nlnth LaSlslature. Senate Bill No. 599 became effective on May 24. 1985. and the grandfather clause of article 59968, V.T.C.S.. nowreads as follows:

provided, that nothing herein contained

. . . shall prevent the appointment. voting for, or conflrmet~lon of any person who shall have been continuously employed In any 

### Nch office, posltlon, clerkship, employment or duty far a period of’ one (1) year prior to the election **or** appointment of the officer or member appointing, voting for, or conflrmlng the appointment. or to the election or appointment of the officer or memberrolatsd to such aployee ln the prohibited

p. 1701Mr. U. N. Kirby - Iage 3 (Jh-371)

reappoint~nent, euployuent, confirmation, reeuployuent, chrzge in status, campensatiott, or disuissal of such person. If such action applies only to such perron and Is not taken with respect to a bona fidar class or category of employees. (Euphasicyadded). The employee j.nquestion was continuously 

## l uployed for forty-five monthsas a teacher before her husband becamea board memberin 1978. The nepotism law prohibited the school board from promoting her to registrar In 1979; ahewas lnaliglble for that position. See Attorney General Cpinlon H-728 (1970). The board's action vat ineffective to change her legal status f&u teacher **to** registrar. See Fairless v. CameronCounty Water Improvemoat District go. 1. 25 S.2d 651 (Tex. Civ. App. - San konio 1930, **writ** ref'd). In our opinion the employee Is still IIteacher **for** purposes of interpretlng'the nepotism statute even though she has perforued the duties of registrar since 1979. Under the recently auended grandfather provision of article 5996a. V.T.C.S., the'echool board maychange her employmentstatus and compensation, but the trustee to whom she Is related may not particfpate In the deliberation or vote thereon.

Under article 5996a, V.T.C.S., as amended by the Sixty-ninth Legislature. a school teacher with one year of continuous euployuent prior to her husband% election as school trustee maycontinue to serve the district as a teacher. 

### Tba school board say change **her** euploynent status and compensation, but her relative say not deliberate or vote ,tlrereon. Very ruly your , 

# d-/h

.
JIM MATTOX Attorney General of Texas TON**GREEN** First Assistant Attorney General DAVIDR. RICHARDS Executive Assistant **Attorney** General ROBERT

GRAY Special .Assistant Attorney General

p. 1702Mr. U. W. Kirby - Pwgc 4 (JM-371)

RICKGILPIN cbairmau, opi.nion

# comittac Prepared **by** Suun 1,. Garrieon Aarirteut Attoruey General APPSDVBD: OPINIOI~COIMITYKE Kick Gilpin, Chairnm Colin Cirl Sueau Garrieou Tony Guillory JiaUdlirrger Jennifer Riggo Baucy **Suttou** sarab Woelk BrucaYoua~blood ; .

I 2 .,.’ 1.

._ .

.

-.

p; 1703