BATON ROUGE — East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Dadrius Lanus has been accused of violating state nepotism laws because, during his tenure on the board, his sister worked as a clerk at a Baton Rouge school.

The Louisiana Board of Ethics voted on March 6 to charge Lanus with violating nepotism laws barring elected officials from employing immediate family while they hold office. The charge Lanus faces comes with a fine of up to $10,000 and potential removal from office.

Lanus' sister, Kenyata Lands, was hired as a clerk at EBR Readiness High School on Feb. 13, 2023; Lanus was elected to office for a second term on Nov. 8, 2022, a Board of Ethics filing said. She later resigned on April 7, 2025, after the filing became public.

Lanus said that his sister previously worked with the district as a paraprofessional from 2015 to 2018, ending her tenure the same year that Lanus was elected to office for the first time. According to Lanus, she was hired back after she was recruited to be a clerk at a district career fair, adding that her job paid around $20,000 annually. 

"How can it be nepotism if you're already an employee inside the system?" Lanus asked. 

According to Louisiana’s nepotism law, there are exemptions for some school employees including teachers and bus drivers, provided school board members disclose such employment.

Lanus, who is also the executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party, called the ethics investigation a frivolous attack, adding that he self-reported Lands' hiring while he served as board president.

"We've got a lot of things to be fighting for across our state and I wanna have the conversation and get back to doing that," Lanus said.

He says it took the ethics board two years to review his appeal.

"They said this wasn't even going to come out as a public document if I paid the fine," he said. "Why would I pay a fine if I have not broken any law, any rules?"

Lanus said it may be worth revising the nepotism provision, but he understands that it is on the books for a reason, saying he would never promote nepotism, but this specific provision is hurting innocent people. He also noted that another board member — Carla Powell-Lewis — is facing a similar situation. 

"You have to understand that people, families are very invested in education. My mom worked in the EBR School System as a cook for over 10 years when I was a student. My sister was a paraprofessional before I joined the school board. My cousin who was nominated for teacher of the year," Lanus said. "Education runs in my blood; it always will. I have a heart for it and I will continue to do so and I will continue to fight for people."