Sponsored by:
Senator CHRISTOPHER J. CONNORS
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
Senator JAMES W. HOLZAPFEL
District 10 (Ocean)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Stanfield
SYNOPSIS
Requires schools to report certain assaults to law enforcement.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning mandatory public school reporting to law enforcement and supplementing chapter 37 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. A public school employee shall notify the principal or the principal’s designee when a student allegedly commits an assault upon another student on school property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored function. After being notified by the school employee, the principal or the principal’s designee shall immediately report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
b. As used in this section:
“Assault” means the same as that term is defined pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of N.J.S.2C:12-1.
“Law enforcement agency” means a department, division, bureau, commission, board or other authority of the State or of any political subdivision thereof which employs law enforcement officers.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires schools to report certain assaults to law enforcement.
Under the bill, a public school employee is required to alert the principal or the principal’s designee after becoming aware that a student has allegedly committed an assault upon another student on school property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored function. After receiving notification, the principal or principal’s designee is required to immediately report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
This bill defines “assault” as attempting to cause or purposely, knowingly, or recklessly causing bodily injury to another. “Law enforcement agency” is defined as a department, division, bureau, commission, board or other authority of the State or of any political subdivision thereof which employs law enforcement officers.
This bill is in response to the death of Central Regional High School student Adriana Kuch. Adriana Kuch committed suicide after a video of her being assaulted by four classmates on school property was posted on the Internet. The school did not report the assault to the police. It is the intent of this bill to require schools to immediately report similar incidents of assault to the police.