N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:3-5.6 - Withdrawal, settlement, or mooting of tenure charges

(a) Once tenure charges are certified to the Commissioner, they may be withdrawn or settled only with approval. Any proposed withdrawal or settlement, whether submitted to the Commissioner or to the arbitrator, shall address the following standards established by the State Board of Education in the matter entitled In re Cardonick, State Board decision of April 6, 1983 (1990 School Law Decisions (S.L.D.) 842, 846):

1. Accompaniment by documentation as to the nature of the charges;

2. Explication of the circumstances justifying settlement or withdrawal;

3. Consent of both the charged and charging parties;

4. Indication the charged party entered into the agreement with a full understanding of the charged party's rights;

5. A showing the agreement is in the public interest; and

6. If the charged party is a teaching staff member, a showing the teaching staff member has been advised of the Commissioner's duty to refer tenure determinations resulting in loss of position to the State Board of Examiners for possible suspension or revocation of certificate.

(b) A settlement agreement shall not propose terms that would restrict access to information or records deemed public by law or result in misrepresentation of the reason for an employee's separation from service. If tenure charges have been certified to the Commissioner by a district board of education, any proposed settlement shall indicate, by signature of the district board of education attorney or inclusion of a district board of education resolution authorizing settlement, that the district board of education has consented to the terms of the settlement.

(c) A proposed withdrawal or settlement of tenure charges shall be submitted to the Commissioner prior to transmittal of such charges to the arbitrator; thereafter, it shall be submitted to the arbitrator.

(d) If tenure proceedings against a teaching staff member are concluded prior to adjudication because the charged party has unilaterally resigned or retired, the Commissioner may refer the matter to the State Board of Examiners for action against the charged party's certificate as it deems appropriate, when such referral is warranted under the provisions governing resignation or retirement prior to conclusion of tenure charges as set forth at N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-4.3(a).

(e) If a proposed settlement requires the tenured employee to relinquish a certificate issued by the State Board of Examiners, upon approval of the settlement agreement, the Commissioner shall forward the matter to the State Board of Examiners for proceedings in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:9-17.1 1.

Notes

N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:3-5.6

Amended by 49 N.J.R. 2516(b), effective 8/7/2017 Amended by 56 N.J.R. 766(b) effective 5/6/2024