New Jersey Administrative Code § 6A:9-17.1 states the following:
Certificate holder
(a) For purposes of this subchapter, the term certificate holder shall include all individuals who hold certificates, credentials, CEs and CEASs issued by the State Board of Examiners.
(b) For purposes of this subchapter, the term certificate shall include all standard, emergency and provisional certificates, all credentials and all CEs and CEASs issued by the State Board of Examiners.
(c) All certificate holders shall report their arrest or indictment for any crime or offense to their superintendent within 14 calendar days. The report shall include the date of arrest or indictment and charge(s) lodged against the certificate holder. Such certificate holders shall also report to their superintendents the disposition of any charges within seven calendar days of disposition. Failure to comply with these reporting requirements may be deemed "just cause" pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9-17.5. School districts shall make these requirements known to all new employees and to all employees on an annual basis.
To summarize, certificate holders that work in school systems must report to the Superintendent within 14 days any arrest or indictment for any crime or offense from any jurisdiction. When the case is completed, the school employee must report within seven days the final disposition.
The chief school district administrator is also responsible for reporting to the State Board of Examiners when he or she has received a report from the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) substantiating allegations of abuse or neglect or establishing "concerns" regarding a certificated teaching staff member. N.J.A.C. § 6A:9-17.4
Carmine R. Villani, Esquire, is a New Jersey criminal defense attorney that has a great deal of experience working with individuals who have either been applicants for positions within school systems or are current employees. It is imperative that a matter involving a school employee be handled properly in that a criminal conviction for certain specific offenses shall become a permanent disqualification from teaching or otherwise working in a school system. Call the criminal defense law firm of Villani & DeLuca, P.C. today to discuss your criminal matter.
