A. A public school shall require an applicant for employment to provide:

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(1)     a list of the applicant’s current and former employers that were schools or that employed the applicant in a position involving unsupervised contact with children or students. The list shall include the name, address, telephone number and other relevant contact information for each of the applicant’s listed employers; (2)     a written statement describing whether the applicant:

(a) has ever been under investigation for, or has been found to have violated, any state or federal statute relating to child abuse or neglect, sexual misconduct or any sexual offense, including those offenses prohibited in Chapter 30, Article 3, 3A, 4, 6, 6A, 9, 37, 37A or 52 NMSA 1978, unless the allegations were false or unsubstantiated;

(b) has ever been under investigation for, or found to have violated, any ethical rule or policy approved by a former employer that previously employed the applicant, unless the allegations were false or unsubstantiated; or

(c) has ever had a professional license or certificate denied, suspended, surrendered or revoked due to a finding of child abuse or ethical misconduct or while allegations of child abuse or ethical misconduct were pending or under investigation; and

(3)     a written authorization that authorizes disclosure of information requested under Subsection B or D of this section and the release of related records by the applicant’s previous employers, releasing the applicant’s previous employers from any liability related to the disclosure or release of records.

B. A public school shall conduct a review of the applicant’s employment history and contact the applicant’s current and former employers listed under Subsection A of this section and request:

(1)     the applicant’s dates of employment; and

(2)     a written statement describing whether the applicant:

(a) has ever been under investigation for, or has been found to have violated, any state or federal statute relating to child abuse or neglect, sexual misconduct or any sexual offense, including those offenses prohibited in Chapter 30, Article 3, 3A, 4, 6, 6A, 9, 37, 37A or 52 NMSA 1978, unless the allegations were false or unsubstantiated;

(b) has ever been under investigation for, or found to have violated, any ethical rule or policy approved by a former employer that previously employed the applicant, unless the allegations were false or unsubstantiated; or

(c) has ever had a professional license or certificate denied, suspended, surrendered or revoked due to a finding of child abuse or ethical misconduct or while allegations of child abuse or ethical misconduct were pending or under investigation.

C. An applicant’s current or former employer shall disclose the information requested under Subsection B of this section within thirty days of receiving the request.

D. During the course of a public school’s review of the applicant’s employment history, an applicant’s current or former employer may disclose any other information the applicant’s current or former employer deems pertinent and substantive to the prospective employee’s suitability for employment in a position that includes unsupervised contact with children or students.

E. A public school shall make and document efforts to:

and (1)     verify the information provided under Subsections A and B of this section;

(2)     obtain from an applicant’s current or former out-of-state employer the information required under Subsection B of this section.

F. A public school may terminate an individual’s employment or contract or rescind an applicant’s offer of employment or offer of a contract if the applicant is offered or commences employment with a public school after the effective date of this 2021 act and information regarding the applicant’s history of child abuse or ethical misconduct that is determined to disqualify the applicant from employment or a contract is subsequently obtained by the public school.

G. When a reference on a former or current employee, contractor or volunteer is requested, the employer shall respond and provide the requested information pursuant to Subsection B of this section.

H. An applicant who provides false information or willfully neglects to disclose information required under this section shall be subject to discipline including termination or denial of employment or action to deny, suspend or revoke a license.

I. For the purposes of this section, “applicant” means an applicant for employment, an individual who is being considered as a contractor, a contractor’s employee or an individual who wants to be a school volunteer.