Morris School District
MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Morristown, New Jersey 07960

Policy
File Code: 5141.4
Monitored:
Mandated: X
Other Reasons X
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

The Board of Education believes that a child's physical and mental well-being must be maintained as a prerequisite to achievement through the formal educational process. The board therefore believes that it is important to identify and investigate suspected child abuse or neglect immediately. The school district will cooperate with the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) in identifying and reporting all such cases, whether institutional or non institutional. The Superintendent designee shall act as liaison between DYFS and the district. The liaison shall facilitate communication and cooperation between the district and DYFS and act as primary contact between the schools and DYFS.

The board directs the Superintendent/designee to gather, maintain, secure and make available to DYFS the relevant confidential district records of any pupil alleged either by school personnel or DYFS to be the victim of abuse or neglect as defined by law. The board also directs the Superintendent/designee to cooperate with DYFS in scheduling interviews with any employee, volunteer or pupil who may have information relevant to an investigation of child abuse.

In order to increase school employees' and volunteers' awareness of the symptoms of child abuse and neglect and cause them to be better informed on all aspects of abuse and neglect, the board directs the Superintendent to provide information and inservice training on the subject to all school employees and volunteers.

The Superintendent is therefore directed to develop procedures for compliance with statutory requirements that child abuse and neglect be reported. All procedures as well as this policy shall be reviewed by the county superintendent. Procedures shall:
  1. Impress on all staff members and volunteers having contact with pupils of their responsibility to report directly and immediately to DYFS all cases of suspected abuse, abandonment, cruelty or neglect resulting in physical or mental injury, and the penalties for failing to do so. Point out that institutional abuse--abuse alleged to have taken place in the school or other institutional setting by paid school staff or a volunteer--must be reported on the same basis as noninstitutional abuse. Information reported shall include the name, age, and grade of the child, as well as the name and address of the child's parents/guardians. The report shall also include a description of the child's condition, nature and extent of his/her possible injuries, and any other information pertinent to the child abuse or neglect or identification of the suspected perpetrator;

  2. Provide for the annual delivery of information and inservice training to all school staff members and volunteers concerning child abuse and neglect. This shall include instructional methods and personnel responsibilities;

  3. Provide for the delivery of information and inservice training to all new school district employees, both paid and voluntary, as part of their orientation;

  4. Require all school personnel and volunteers to report suspected instances of child abuse or neglect to the building principal after reporting to DYFS, unless the reporting personnel believes that he/she may be endangering the welfare of the child or himself/herself or causing retaliation or discrimination against the child or himself/herself by such notice to the building principal;

  5. Require prompt action to secure treatment of such injuries as result from abuse or neglect so as to protect the health of the child; Provide for DYFS investigators to interview alleged victims in the presence of the school principal, his/her designee, or any staff member with whom the child is comfortable;

  6. Provide for cooperation with DYFS in scheduling interviews with any school personnel or volunteers who may have information relevant to the investigation;

  7. Allow DYFS to physically remove from school children who are involved in child abuse or neglect investigations or to transfer children between schools should such action be necessary for their health or protection, or to take the child to a service provider;

  8. Require that a report of each case of unexplained absence which might be a cause of child abuse or neglect be reported to DYFS as the law provides, and to other appropriate school staff;

  9. Require that appropriate school staff follow the progress of the child and maintain communication through the liaison with DYFS in order to ensure continuance of the appropriate educational program for the child;

  10. Release all pupil records of the child(ren) under investigation that are deemed relevant and maintain, secure and release all confidential information about child abuse cases, according to law;

  11. Fulfill all other procedural requirements of the law.
The board assures all school personnel and volunteers that no one will be discharged from employment or discriminated against in any way as a result of making in good faith any reports of child abuse and neglect.

Due process rights will be provided to school personnel or volunteers who have been reassigned or suspended as a result of an accusation of child abuse or neglect. Temporary reassignment or suspension of school personnel or volunteers alleged to have committed an act of child abuse or neglect shall occur if there is reasonable cause to believe that the life or health of the alleged victim or other children is in imminent danger due to continued contact between the school personnel and a child.

All references to a report of child abuse or neglect against school personnel shall be removed from employee personnel records immediately following the receipt of an official notice from DYFS that such allegations were unfounded.

Date: July 21, 2002, Approved

Legal References:
N.J.S.A. 9:6-1 et seq. Abuse, abandonment, cruelty and neglect of child;
See particularly: what constitutes
N.J.S.A. 9:6-3.1; -8.9 through -8.14; -8.21; -8.34 through -8.36; -8.40; -8.46; -8.56
N.J.S.A. 18A:6-7a, -10, -11, -13, -14, -18.1, -30, -30.1 Dismissal and reduction in compensation of persons under tenure in public school system
N.J.S.A. 18A:25-1 Transfer of teaching staff members
N.J.S.A. 18A:25-6, -7 Suspension of assistant superintendents, principals and teachers ...
N.J.S.A. 18A:36-19 Pupil records; creation; maintenance and retention, security and access; regulations; nonliability
N.J.S.A. 18A:36-19a Newly enrolled students; records and identification
N.J.S.A. 18A:36-24 et seq. Missing children; legislative findings and declarations ...
N.J.S.A. 52:17B-9.8a et seq. Marking of missing child's school record
N.J.A.C. 6:3-6.1 et seq. Pupil records
N.J.A.C. 6A:16-1.4(a)21 District policies and procedures
N.J.A.C. 6A:16-10.2 Reporting Allegations of Child Abuse and Neglect

Cross References:
5113 Absences and excuses
5125 Pupil records
5141.1 Accidents
5142 Pupil safety

Key Words
Pupil Safety, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Student Safety
 

Morris School District | 31 Hazel Street | Morristown, New Jersey | Phone: 973-292-2300
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