State of Washington

Ethics Advisory Committee

Question

May a judicial officer serve on a school district’s special temporary advisory committee to analyze the district’s school athletics program including coaching, equipment and facilities needs for its various inter-scholastic sports?

The judicial officer’s children attend public school and are active in their school’s sports program. The judicial officer has been a youth baseball coach for many years and has dealt with a variety of issues pertaining to coaching, equipment, and facilities.

The school district is considering appointing a special temporary advisory committee to analyze the district’s school athletics program including coaching, equipment, and facilities for its various inter-scholastic sports. This group would make recommendations to the school board for its ultimate consideration and decision. The advisory group would be made up of people from professional sports teams, coaches, parents, students and people generally interested in athletics.

Answer

CJC Canon 5(B) provides that judicial officers may participate in civic activities that do not reflect adversely upon their impartiality or interfere with the performance of judicial duties. A judicial officer may serve on a school district’s committee to analyze the district’s school athletics program because that would not reflect adversely upon the judicial officer’s impartiality or interfere with the performance of judicial duties.

See also Opinion 93-13.

Opinion 95-09

02/27/1995