Hamilton County Board of Education
Monitoring:

Review: Annually

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41

Descriptor Code: Issued Date:

Descriptor Term:

Duties of Individual
Board Members

1.106

Rescinds:

1.106

Issued:

7/17/08

The Board adopts this Code of Ethics as recommended by the Tennessee School Boards Association as
a guide to its members as they provide educational leadership for the youth of our state. The Board further
agrees that ethical issues regarding the Board or its members may be referred to the TSBA Ethics Advisory
Council.
ARTICLE I.

MY RELATIONS TO THE CHILDREN

Section 1.

I will at all times think in terms of “children first,” always determining other
important things according to how they affect education and training of
children.

Section 2.

I will seek to provide equal educational opportunities for all children
regardless of ability, race, color, sex, creed or location of residence.

ARTICLE II.

MY RELATIONS TO MY COMMUNITY

Section 1.

I will endeavor to appraise fairly both the present and future educational
needs of the community and to support improvements as finances permit.

Section 2.

I will represent at all times the entire school community and refuse to
represent special interests or partisan politics.

Section 3.

I will endeavor to keep the community informed about the progress and
needs of the schools.

ARTICLE III.

MY RELATIONS TO TEACHERS AND PERSONNEL

Section 1.

I will support the employment of those persons best qualified to serve as
employees and insist on a regular and impartial evaluation of all staff.

Section 2.

I will support and protect personnel in performance of their duties.

Section 3.

I will not criticize employees publicly but will make such criticism to the
director of schools for investigation and action if necessary.

Page 1 of 2

 Duties of Individual Board Members
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49

ARTICLE IV.

1.106

MY RELATIONS WITH OTHER BOARD MEMBERS

Section 1.

I will recognize that authority rests only with the Board in official meetings
and that the individual member has no legal status outside of such meetings.

Section 2.

I will refuse to make promises as to how I will vote on a matter which should
properly come before the Board as a whole.

Section 3.

I will make decisions only after full discussion of matters at a board
meeting.

Section 4.

I will respect the opinion of other members and will accept the principle of
“majority rule.”

ARTICLE V.

MY RELATIONS WITH THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS

Section 1.

I will support full administrative authority as well as responsibility for the
director of schools to properly discharge all professional duties.

Section 2.

I will support director of schools' accountability for working and requiring
staff to work within the framework of policies set up by the Board.

Section 3.

I will refer all complaints and concerns to the director of schools.

ARTICLE VI.

MY RELATIONS TO MYSELF

Section 1.

I will inform myself about my duties and responsibilities and current educational issues by individual study and through participation in programs
providing needed information, such as those sponsored by my state and
national school boards associations.

Section 2.

I will avoid being placed in a position of conflict of interest, and will refrain
from using my board position for personal or partisan gain.

Page 2 of 2

 Hamilton County Board of Education
Monitoring:

Review: Annually

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41

Descriptor Code: Issued Date:

Descriptor Term:

Code of Ethics

1.107

Rescinds:

7/17/08

Issued:

DEFINITIONS
(1) "School district" means Hamilton County School District, which was duly created by a public or private act
of the General Assembly; and which includes all boards, committees, commissions, authorities, corporations
or other instrumentalities appointed or created by the school district or an official of the school district.
(2) "Officials and employees" means and includes any official, whether elected or appointed, officer, employee
or servant, or any member of any board , agency, commission, authority or corporation (whether compen
sated or not), or any officer, employee or servant thereof, of the school district.
(3) "Personal interest" means, for the purpose of disclosure of personal interests in accordance with this Code
of Ethics, a financial interest of the official or employee, or a financial interest of the official's or employee's
spouse or child living in the same household, in the matter to be voted upon, regulated, supervised, or
otherwise acted upon in an official capacity.
DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INTEREST IN VOTING MATTERS
An official or employee with the responsibility to vote on a measure shall disclose during the meeting at which the
vote takes place, before the vote and to be included in the minutes, any personal interest that affects or that would
lead a reasonable person to infer that it affects the official's or employee's vote on the measure. In addition, the
official or employee may, to the extent allowed by law, recuse himself or herself from voting on the measure.
DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INTEREST IN NON-VOTING MATTERS
An official or employee who must exercise discretion relative to any matter other than casting a vote and who has
a personal interest in the matter that affects or that would lead a reasonable person to infer that it affects the
exercise of the discretion shall disclose, before the exercise of the discretion when possible, the interest on the
attached disclosure form and file the disclosure form with the school district's central office. In addition, the official
or employee may, to the extent allowed by law, recuse himself or herself from the exercise of discretion in the
matter.
ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE
An official or employee, or an official's or employee's spouse or child living in the same household, may not accept,
directly or indirectly, any gift, money, gratuity, or other consideration or favor of any kind from anyone other than
the school district that a reasonable person would understand was intended to influence the vote, official action
or judgment of the official or employee in executing decision-making authority affecting the school district.
It shall not be considered a violation of this policy for an official or employee to receive entertainment, food,
refreshments, meals, health screenings, amenities, foodstuffs, or beverages that are provided in connection with
a conference sponsored by an established or recognized statewide association of school board officials or by an

Page 1 of 2

 Code of Ethics
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48

1.107

umbrella or affiliate organization of such statewide association of school board officials.
ETHICS COMPLAINTS
The school district may create a School District Ethics Committee (the "Ethics Committee") consisting of three
members who will be appointed to one-year terms by the Chairman of the Board of Education with confirmation
by the board of education. At least two members of the committee shall be members of the board of education.
The Ethics Committee shall convene as soon as practicable after its appointment and elect a chair and a secretary.
The records of the Ethics Committee shall be maintained by the secretary and shall be filed in the office of the
director of schools, where they shall be open to public inspection.
Questions and complaints regarding violations of this Code of Ethics or of any violation of state law governing
ethical conduct should be directed to the chair of the Ethics Committee. Complaints shall be in writing and signed
by the person making the complaint, and shall set forth in reasonable detail the facts upon which the complaint
is based.
The School District Ethics Committee may investigate any credible complaint against an official or employee
charging any violation of this Code of Ethics, or may undertake an investigation on its own initiative when it acquires
information indicating a possible violation, and make recommendations for action to end or seek retribution for
any activity that, in the Committee's judgement, constitutes a violation of this Code of Ethics. If a member of the
Committee is the subject of a complaint, such member shall recuse himself or herself from all proceedings involving
such complaint.
The Committee may:
(1) refer the matter to the Board Attorney for a legal opinion and/or recommendation for action;
(2) in the case of an official, refer the matter to the school board body for possible public censure if the board
body finds such action warranted;
(3) in the case of an employee, refer the matter to the official responsible for supervision of the employee for
possible disciplinary action if the official finds discipline warranted;
(4) in a case involving possible violation of state statutes, refer the matter to the district attorney for possible
ouster or criminal prosecution;
The interpretation that a reasonable person in the circumstances would apply shall be used in interpreting and
enforcing this Code of Ethics. When a violation of this Code of Ethics also constitutes a violation of a personnel
policy or a civil service policy, the violation shall be dealt with as a violation of the personnel or civil service
provisions rather than as a violation of this Code of Ethics.

Page 2 of 2