Bill Text: NJ A5267 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires school district to suspend without pay school employees accused of criminal offenses or unbecoming conduct involving child.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-06-15 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A5267 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A5267-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman AL BARLAS
District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires school district to suspend without pay school employees accused of criminal offenses or unbecoming conduct involving child.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the suspension of certain school personnel and supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a board of education shall suspend, without pay, any school employee, including a tenured or nontenured school employee, who is accused of criminal offenses involving one or more children or of unbecoming conduct involving one or more children, pending the determination of the charge. If a school employee is suspended pursuant to the provisions of this section, the basis for the suspension shall be identified in a written notice to the employee. The employee shall have 14 days from the date of the written notice to challenge the accuracy of the pending charge.
b. If the charge is dismissed, the employee shall be reinstated immediately with full pay from the first day of the suspension. If the pending charge results in conviction, the employee shall be ineligible for continued employment with the board and shall be ineligible for new employment with any other board of education in the State.
c. The suspension of employment pursuant to this subsection shall not be subject to any grievance or appeals procedures or tenure proceedings pursuant to any collectively bargained or negotiated agreement or any law, rule, or regulation.
2. A board of education shall report annually to the Commissioner of Education any suspensions made pursuant to the provisions of section 1 of this act, and the final determination of charges related to those suspensions.
3. The Commissioner of Education may withhold State aid, in whole or in part, in the next school year from a school district that fails to comply with the provisions of section 1 or section 2 of this act.
4. The Commissioner of Education shall annually report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), in the month preceding the start of each school year on the number of suspensions reported pursuant to section 2 of this act and any State aid withheld pursuant to section 3 of this act.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires a school district to suspend without pay a school employee who has been accused of a criminal offense or unbecoming conduct involving one or more children.
This bill provides that a board of education will suspend, without pay, any school employee, including a tenured or nontenured teaching staff member, who is accused of criminal offenses involving one or more children or of unbecoming conduct involving one or more children, pending the determination of the charge. If a school employee is suspended, the basis for the suspension will be identified in a written notice to the employee. The employee will have 14 days from the date of the written notice to challenge the accuracy of the pending charge.
Under the bill, if the charge is dismissed, the employee will be reinstated immediately with full pay from the first day of the suspension. If the pending charge results in conviction, the employee will be ineligible for continued employment with the board and will be ineligible for new employment with any other board of education in the State.
The bill further provides that a suspension of employment pursuant to the bill's provisions will not be subject to any grievance or appeals procedures or tenure proceedings pursuant to any collectively bargained or negotiated agreement or any law, rule, or regulation.
The bill directs each board of education to report annually to the Commissioner of Education any suspensions made pursuant to the bill's provisions and the final determination of charges related to those suspensions.
The bill permits the Commissioner of Education to withhold State aid, in whole or in part, in the next school year from a school district that fails to comply with the bill's provisions.
Finally, the bill directs the Commissioner of Education to report to the Governor and the Legislature annually on the number of suspensions reported and any State aid withheld pursuant to the bill's provisions.
