A former UMass Amherst affiliate provost was fined $10,000 for hiring her brother to a short lived place in violation of state battle of curiosity regulation, the State Ethics Fee introduced Wednesday.
“A public employee’s unlawful participation in the hiring and compensation of their family member erodes public confidence in the fairness of public employee hiring and pay,” mentioned State Ethics Fee Government Director David Wilson.
Heather Sharpes-Smith, a former Affiliate Provost for Educational Design and Know-how at UMass Amherst, admitted in a Disposition Settlement to taking part in her brother’s hiring to a place in her division and waived her proper to a public listening to, the fee mentioned.
In Might 2023, Sharpes-Smith emailed her division’s Human Assets Division and others in command of hiring, asking whether or not an unnamed “man may very well be employed quickly to a studying administration system place till a everlasting worker might take over.
“Sharpes-Smith did not disclose that the ‘guy’ was her brother,” the Ethics Fee mentioned.
Sharpes-Smith was advised she might make the momentary rent, after which knowledgeable Human Assets she had her brother in thoughts. The division knowledgeable her he may very well be employed however she couldn’t supervise him, the fee mentioned.
The affiliate provost didn’t inform her appointing authority or the State Ethics Fee about her intention to rent a member of the family, the fee mentioned. She did advocate her brother for the momentary place, accredited the provide letter and verified him for a background examine.
After her brother was employed, the fee mentioned, Sharpes-Smith did approve his timesheets and authorize his pay.
In August 2023, the everlasting place was licensed to be stuffed. Sharpes-Smith designated an worker to supervise a hiring committee, the fee mentioned, however did take part in reviewing over 100 candidates resumes.
The hiring committee advisable Sharpes-Smith’s brother for the everlasting place, “based, in part, on his experience in the temporary position” after the interview course of, the fee said. After she licensed the advice, he was employed in November 2023 with a wage of $68,000.
The Massachusetts battle of curiosity regulation “prohibits state employees from participating in matters in which they know they or members of their immediate family have a financial interest.”
They’re solely allowed to take action after first submitting a “written disclosure of the matter and the financial interest to their appointing authority” and having the authority submits a public dedication that the monetary curiosity is “not so substantial as to be likely to affect the integrity of their services to the Commonwealth.” The paperwork are filed with the Ethics Fee and out there to the general public.
“When a public employee fails to follow the proper process before participating and doesn’t disclose relevant facts to their appointing authority, and their appointing authority doesn’t make the determination allowing their participation, the employee violates the conflict of interest law,” mentioned Wilson.
The fee urged any public staff with questions concerning the battle of curiosity regulation to succeed in out to their Authorized Division at no cost recommendation.
In 2024, Sharpes-Smith earned $127,718, in accordance with the Herald’s Your Tax {Dollars} at Work, public payroll database.
