School Ethics Commission
The School Ethics Commission is a nine-member body with the power to issue advisory opinions, receive complaints, receive and retain disclosure statements, conduct investigations, hold hearings, and compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents as it may deem necessary to enforce the School Ethics Act. School Ethics Commission Members are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Commission is established in the New Jersey Department of Education. The Commission holds its Meetings every month on the fourth Tuesday, unless the meeting is rescheduled, at the Academy Learning Center, 145 Pergola Avenue, Monroe Township, NJ. Click here for Directions to the Academy Learning Center.
The School Ethics Act , N.J.S.A. 18A:12-21 et seq. is intended to ensure that the conduct of school officials holds the respect and confidence of the people. The Legislature declared that school officials must avoid conduct which is in violation of their public trust or which creates a justifiable impression that the public trust is being violated. N.J.S.A. 18A:12-22(a). The School Ethics Act applies only to school officials as defined by N.J.S.A. 18A:12-23, which includes administrators. The Act sets forth standards for the following:
The School Ethics Commission Administrative Code was adopted by the State Board of Education to implement the provisions of the School Ethics Act. In furtherance of these standards, the School Ethics Commission:
School Ethics Decisions and Advisory Opinions that have been made public are available on the web, together with information about Appeals from School Ethics Commission Decisions. The Commission has also provided guidance to local districts that are affected by Board member conflicts by adopting the Resolution on Adopting the Doctrine of Necessity.
