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LEGAL ONE On-the-Run

Reporting Obligations for Staff Members

September 21, 2026

Law, Ethics and Governance for All Leaders, including an Overview of New and Emerging Issues

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Presenters

David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education of National Outreach, LEGAL ONE/NJPSA/FEA
Ameena Terrell, Coordinator of Strategic Planning and Operations for LEGAL Education, LEGAL ONE

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Eligible NJSIG Sub-Funds

CAIP: Cape May Atlantic Insurance Pool
BACCEIC: Burlington & Camden County Educators Insurance Consortium
ERIC North: Educational Risk & Insurance Consortium — North
ERIC South: Educational Risk & Insurance Consortium — South
MOCSSIF: Monmouth Ocean County Shared Services Insurance Fund
NJEIF: North Jersey Educational Insurance Fund

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What Makes �On-the-Run Unique?

LEGAL ONE produced content – leading experts in school law
Recognition of Time Constraints
Flexibility in Use
Empowers Your School Leaders
Accountability for Each Participant
Ability to earn LEGAL ONE Certificates towards ongoing PD/school law training requirements
Everything in One Easy-to-Use Package!

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Our Roll Out Plan

August 31 - Introducing LEGAL ONE On-the-Run
September 21 - Reporting Obligations for Staff Members (Suicide Prevention Month)
October 19 - Identifying and Reporting Suspected Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (Global Diversity Awareness Month and Week of Respect)
November 23 - Following Chain of Command (Military Family Month)
December 21 - Inappropriate Staff Comments (National Human Rights Month)
March 15 - Sexual Harassment Explained/Sexual Harassment Scenario Analysis (Women's History Month)
April 19 - Staff First Amendment Rights (Earth Day/Month)
May 17 - Healthy Workplace Environment Policy (Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month)

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Companion Guide/�Resources

Key takeaways from each video
Discussion questions to lead group discussions
Suggested study plans and timelines for leading group discussions
Suggested study plans and timelines for working with an individual employee
Optional assessments
Moving Forward – Strengthening policies, protocols, practices
Additional free LEGAL ONE resources related to each topic – LEGAL ONE articles and LEGAL ONE Podcast episode

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Presentation Materials

To Register for future sessions and access

today’s document(s) go to:

https://njpsa.org/legal-one-on-the-run-loor-njsig/

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DISCLAIMER

This presentation is intended as a summary of law only and is not meant as legal advice. Please consult your attorney to obtain legal advice.

Participants are authorized to use the LEGAL ONE materials provided in this training to offer turnkey training within the respective participant's school district or place of employment, provided that participants provide proper credit to LEGAL ONE for having developed said materials and further provided that such turnkey training is offered at no charge.

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REPORTING OBLIGATIONS FOR STAFF MEMBERS

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Today’s LOOR can be viewed on the Companion Guide page, https://njpsa.org/legal-one-on-the-run-loor-reporting-obligations-staff/

Reporting Obligations for Staff Members

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Key Takeaways

Group Discussion

What are your key takeaways from this video?
How could a school leader use this video to lead a staff discussion?
What specific knowledge will staff members have after viewing this video?
How could this video be used to work with an individual staff member?
How could this be a starting point for assessing current policies, protocols and practices?
For doing a deeper dive into the topics raised?

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Key Takeaways

Staff have a paramount duty to report foreseeable dangers to protect children. This obligation stems from the New Jersey Supreme Court's mandate that protecting children from foreseeable dangers, whether resulting from careless acts or intentional transgressions, is the staff's greatest obligation. Staff members must recognize their duty to step up, protect children, and report.
Failure to report carries significant liability and disciplinary risks. If a staff member fails to report an issue when they have reason to believe a student or staff member is in danger, liability could "skyrocket" for the school district. The individual employee may face disciplinary action ranging from a reprimand to potential tenure charges and termination, which could also impact their certificates and pension.
The legal obligation to report suspected child abuse/neglect falls directly on the employee who suspects it. It is not sufficient for an employee to report suspected child abuse or neglect to a school principal and assume that person will contact DCP&P or the institutional abuse investigation unit; the obligation rests directly on the employee who has reason to believe a child is being abused or neglected. The employee should also inform the school principal that they have made this report.

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Key Takeaways

Immediate verbal and written reporting is required for certain critical issues. Critical issues like suspected suicidal ideation, drug/alcohol influence, and Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying (HIB) must be reported immediately. For instance, if a student expresses suicidal ideation, staff must report that immediately to a school counselor and principal. Similarly, suspected substance influence requires an immediate report to the school nurse (or doctor) and principal/designee so the student can receive an immediate medical examination.
Staff are protected when reporting concerns in good faith. When a staff member makes a report in good faith to protect health and safety, they are indemnified and protected by their school district if there is any threat of litigation against them for making that report.

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Discussion Questions

The New Jersey Supreme Court emphasized that we have no greater obligation than to protect children from foreseeable dangers. Can staff members share an example of a time they recognized a potential danger and how they fulfilled their duty to step up and report it?
The speaker stressed that the obligation to report suspected child abuse or neglect falls directly on the employee who suspects it. What specific steps does our school's policy require after an employee makes a direct report to DCP&P (or the institutional abuse investigation unit), particularly regarding informing the school principal and documenting the incident?
The video states that failure to report issues when we have reason to believe someone is in danger could lead to individual disciplinary action, ranging from a reprimand to termination, and could impact certificates and pensions. How does knowing this risk influence your decision-making process when you observe a potentially concerning situation but are unsure if it meets the official reporting threshold (e.g., suspected drug influence, potential HIB)?

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Discussion Questions

Immediate verbal and written reports are required for critical issues like suspected suicidal ideation or drug/alcohol influence. Reviewing our district's specific protocols, who are the designated personnel (beyond the principal) that staff must contact immediately for these time-sensitive reports to ensure student safety and necessary medical examination?
The video emphasizes that when staff members report issues in good faith, they are indemnified and protected by the school district from litigation. How can we ensure that all staff members feel confident and safe enough to make these reports, even if their initial concerns turn out to be unfounded?

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Knowledge Check

Sample Question

If a staff member has reason to believe a child is being abused or neglected, the obligation to report to DCP&P or the institutional abuse investigation unit falls directly on whom?�

The school principal or administrator.
The employee who suspects the abuse or neglect.
The school social worker or counselor.
Law enforcement.�

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Study Plan Options

One Staff Meeting

Two Staff Meetings Plus Self-Paced Work

Individual Learning Plan�

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Study Plan�Option 1: One-Hour Staff Meeting

Duration	Activity	Content Focus
5 min	Introduction and Context Setting	Principal Action: Welcome staff. Briefly state the meeting's singular, critical purpose: to review and reinforce our non-delegable duty to protect children. Introduce the video as a mandatory refresher on New Jersey reporting obligations
15 min	Video Viewing	Staff Action: View the 15-minute video on staff reporting obligations.
5 min	Review Key Takeaways	Principal Action: Quickly read and reinforce the two most critical points from the Key Takeaways: Paramount Duty to Report: Protecting children is the greatest obligation. Legal Obligation to Report Suspected Child Abuse/Neglect: The duty falls directly on the employee who suspects it (Point 3).
25 min	Focused Discussion	Principal Action: Lead a discussion using Suggested Discussion Questions to ensure understanding of policy and personal risk. Focus on these three questions: Q2 (Non-Delegable Duty): What specific steps does our school's policy require after an employee makes a direct report to DCP&P (or the institutional abuse investigation unit), particularly regarding informing the school principal and documenting the incident? Q3 (Risk of Non-Reporting): How does knowing the risk of disciplinary action (reprimand to termination/loss of certificate) influence your decision-making when you observe a potentially concerning situation but are unsure if it meets the official reporting threshold? Q4 (Immediate Reports): Reviewing our district's specific protocols, who are the designated personnel (beyond the principal) that staff must contact immediately for time-sensitive reports (suicidal ideation, suspected substance influence)?
5 min	Next Steps & Protocol Review	Principal Action: Review the most critical Considerations for Moving Forward: Clearly Communicate Individual Duty: Re-emphasize that the obligation to report suspected child abuse/neglect to DCP&P is directly on the employee. (Point 2) Time-Sensitive Reporting Chains: Review the specific immediate internal reporting steps for suicidal ideation (counselor & principal) and substance influence (nurse/doctor & principal/designee). (Point 3)
5 min	Q&A and Assessment Wrap-up	Principal Action: Briefly answer any final questions. Announce that the 10-Question Multiple-Choice Assessment must be completed digitally within 24 hours to confirm comprehension and document training. Thank staff for their commitment to student safety.

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Additional Resources

Podcast Episodes

Understanding Changes in New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Law for 2022-23

The Duty to Protect Students from Foreseeable Dangers and Frugis v. Bracigliano

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Articles

Understanding Reporting Obligations for Bias-Related Acts under the Revised MOA with Law Enforcement

From Island to Team: The Legal Imperative for Athletic Directors to Collaborate Across the School District to Protect Student Health and Safety

�

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Moving Forward

Mandate annual, detailed training on district-specific protocols and policies: The school should ensure staff members know their district's policies and reporting protocols, including who they have to report to, the formats required (verbally and in writing), and any other specific protocols. The training should stress that reports for serious issues must often occur immediately.
Clearly communicate the individual, non-delegable duty to report suspected child abuse/neglect: The school must explicitly instruct every employee that the obligation to report suspected child abuse or neglect to DCP&P or the institutional abuse investigation unit is directly on the employee who suspects it. The employee is also be required to inform the principal after making that report.
Establish and disseminate specific, time-sensitive reporting chains for immediate dangers: The school must clearly define the immediate steps for critical issues, such as suspected suicidal ideation (immediate report to a school counselor and principal) and suspected alcohol or substance influence (immediate report to the school nurse/doctor and principal/designee).

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Moving Forward

Assure staff of protection and detail the risks of non-reporting: The principal should explicitly inform staff that making a report in good faith to protect health and safety leads to indemnification and protection from litigation by the school district. Simultaneously, staff must be warned that failing to report issues when someone is in danger could lead to individual disciplinary action, including reprimand, tenure charges, termination, and loss of certificates/pension.
Develop and train staff on the Threat Assessment protocols: The school must ensure staff understands the 2022 threat assessment law, which requires proactive identification of students at risk of violence. This includes training staff on the school's specific protocols for when and how to internally report potential threats so the district can determine if an external report to law enforcement is needed.

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Leveraging these Resources

If LEGAL ONE On-the-Run “sits on a shelf” it helps no one
While we are highlighting specific videos each month, you have immediate access to 9 LEGAL ONE On-the-Run videos and companion guides
Build a plan with your administrative team to leverage the use of these resources in a way that makes sense for your district

e.g., raising overall staff awareness, addressing policies/protocols/practices, working with specific staff members, etc.

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For More Information

https://njpsa.org/legal-one-on-the-run-loor-njsig/

To Register for upcoming Sessions use link or QR code
To receive LEGAL ONE certificates for individual school staff and for other questions contact LEGAL ONE at legalone@njpsa.org

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QUESTIONS???

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Conclusion

Thank you for choosing professional development with LEGAL ONE!

Visit our website for more courses that can support your work at http://www.njpsa.org/legalonenj/

Participants are authorized to use the LEGAL ONE materials provided in this training to offer turnkey training within the respective participant's school district or place of employment, provided that participants provide proper credit to LEGAL ONE for having developed said materials and further provided that such turnkey training is offered at no charge.

If you have any questions about this presentation or suggestions for future seminars, please send an email to legalone@njpsa.org

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As the leading provider of school law training, the LEGAL ONE team of school law experts is pleased to offer the LEGAL ONE Podcast to help you understand complex legal issues through approximately 30-minute episodes

Available in Apple Podcasts and Spotify

About the LEGAL ONE PODCAST

LISTEN NOW

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Certificate & Evaluation

Today’s professional development certificate is available to save/download at the end of a brief evaluation.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LO-LOOR-260921

Please take a few minutes to let us know what you thought of the session!