A former University of Massachusetts Amherst provost paid a $10,000 civil penalty for hiring her brother to positions in her department, the State Ethics Commission said.
Heather Sharpes-Smith, former associate provost for instructional design and technology, violated the conflict of interest law when, in May 2023, she asked whether an “unnamed guy” could be hired to a temporary position until a more permanent position was available. That person was her brother, the commission said.
The commission said Sharpes-Smith did not tell her appointing authority or the commission that the potential hire was her brother, but did inform the university’s Human Resources Department, the commission said. The HR department told the ex-provost that her brother could be hired, but that she could not supervise him.