New Jersey Department of Education

 

 

School Ethics Commission
New Jersey Department of Education
100 Riverview Plaza, P.O. Box 500, Trenton, NJ 08625
Phone: (609) 376-9115, Fax: (609) 633-0279 

ATTENTION

Please be advised that, until further notice, anyone wishing to file a complaint with, or to request an advisory opinion from, the School Ethics Commission must submit an electronic copy of the filing to school.ethics@doe.nj.gov in addition to mailing a hard copy. Thank you for your patience and assistance during this time.


 

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, except for the December meeting. Commission meetings are held in the Department of Education Building, 100 Riverview Plaza, First Floor Conference Room, Trenton, New Jersey.  Click here for directions to the Trenton location.

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:

  1. Prohibited Acts (N.J.S.A. 18A:12-24(a) through (k)), which applies to all school officials, i.e., board members and school administrators;
  2. Code of Ethics for School Board Members (N.J.S.A. 18A:12-24.1(a) through (j)), which applies only to school board members and does not apply to administrators;
  3. Annual disclosure of employment and financial Interests (N.J.S.A. 18A:12-25). Click here for information about filing the Personal/Relative and Financial Disclosure Statements of School Officials;
  4. SEARCH for Personal/Relative and Financial Disclosure Statements; and
  5. School board member training requirements (N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33).

In accordance with the School Ethics Commission's regulations, the School Ethics Commission:

  1. Reviews complaints alleging violations of the School Ethics Act. Click here for information about filing a complaint with the School Ethics Commission;
  2. Issues advisory opinions;
  3. Enforces the requirement that all school officials file personal/relative and financial disclosure statements; and
  4. Enforces school board members’ training requirements.

School Ethics Commission decisions and advisory opinions that have been made public are available on the Web, together with information about  appeals of School Ethics Commission decisions.

Resolution on Invoking the Doctrine of Necessity.

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