Arizona Laws 15-350. Investigation of immoral or unprofessional conduct; confidentiality; definition
A. On request of the state board of education or the department of education, any school or school district that has employed a certificated or noncertificated person during the time in which the person is alleged to have engaged in conduct constituting grounds for disciplinary action shall make available the attendance and testimony of witnesses, documents and any physical evidence within the school district’s control for examination or copying. All information received and records or reports kept by the state board of education or the department of education during an investigation of immoral or unprofessional conduct are confidential and are not a public record.
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 15-350
- Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- person: means an individual, partnership, corporation, association or public or private organization of any kind. See Arizona Laws 15-101
- School district: means a political subdivision of this state with geographic boundaries organized for the purpose of the administration, support and maintenance of the public schools or an accommodation school. See Arizona Laws 15-101
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
B. Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, the state board of education may provide information, records or reports relating to the investigation of a certificated or noncertificated person to any of the following:
1. Any school or school district that currently employs the certificated or noncertificated person.
2. Any school or school district to which the certificated or noncertificated person has applied for employment.
3. Any third-party entity that contracts with a school or school district to provide educators and to which the person has applied for employment.
4. Any agency as defined in section 41-1001 that has received and is investigating an application by the certificated or noncertificated person for a certificate or license or that is investigating the person in order to make a certification or licensure decision.
5. A state education agency in another state, or the equivalent, with which a person holds a certificate or is applying for a certificate.
C. All information, records and reports received by any school or school district pursuant to this section shall be used for employment purposes only, are confidential and are not a public record.
D. An investigator who is regularly employed and paid by the state board of education has the authority to access criminal history records and criminal history record information, as defined in section 41-1750, from law enforcement agencies.
E. The department of education shall provide to the state board of education access to the educator information system maintained by the department and any related systems deemed necessary by the board to investigate and adjudicate allegations of conduct constituting grounds for disciplinary action.
F. For the purposes of this section, "noncertificated person" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-505.