[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Burlington
by Ord. No. 10-2004 (Ch. 12.10 of the 1996 Municipal Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Criminal history background checks — See Ch. 130.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
A written specification of the behavior of the parents, guardians,
coaches and officials prepared by the Burlington City Athletic Association,
Inc. (BCAAI), or its successors, which must, at a minimum, incorporate
the terms of this chapter and must be consented to in writing by the
parents and legal guardians of the minor participants of each youth
sports activity. The BCAAI, or its successor, shall have the authority
to modify the written specifications per resolution and approval thereof
of this Council.
Comprised of a duly elected member from each youth sports
activity and two members of the BCAAI.
Any sports organization pursuant to a City-sponsored or a
nonprofit or similar charter which is affiliated with or received
monetary or other support or services from the City of Burlington
or regularly utilizes any facilities owned, operated, or maintained
by the City, which sports organization participates in sporting competitions
involving minors.
Any competition, practice or instructional event involving
one or more youth sports activities.
Each youth sports activity shall annually advise the City Clerk
of the name, address, and telephone number of its duly elected member
who shall serve on the Code of Conduct Committee commensurate with
his/her term of office with the youth sports activity.
Every sports activity shall be required to follow the code of
conduct as set forth in this chapter.
The Code of Conduct Committee shall be charged with enforcing
the provisions of this chapter.
The code of conduct will be made available to all parents and
guardians of each child participating in a sports activity.
A.Â
Any participant, parent, guardian, guest, spectator, coach, or official
at any youth sports event who initiates a fight, scuffle, or any type
of physical abuse or threats of abuse towards any player, coach, official,
parent, or spectator shall be banned from attendance at all youth
sports events within the City of Burlington for a period not exceeding
12 months from the date of the incident.
B.Â
Any participant, parent, guest, coach or official at any youth sports
event who enters the field of play, court or rink during any youth
sports event for the purpose of physically or verbally abusing or
confronting coaches, players or officials shall be banned from attendance
at all youth sports events within the City of Burlington for a period
not exceeding 12 months from the date of the incident.
C.Â
Any participant, parent, guest, spectator, coach, or official at
any youth sports event who verbally abuses officials, players, or
spectators, including the use of obscene or profane language or gestures,
or racial, ethnic or sexual slurs, may be reprimanded from the date
of the incident and shall be subject to discipline as provided by
the applicable code of conduct, up to but not to exceed 12 months
in duration.
D.Â
Any participant, parent, guest, spectator or official at any youth
sports event who throws or causes to be deposited any object on the
field of play, court or rink during any youth sports event may be
banned from attendance at all youth events for a period not to exceed
12 months from the date of incident.
Any participant, parent, official, coach or spectator at any
youth sporting event shall be subject to the authority of all field
officials, including umpires, referees, and elected league officials
or coaches of the youth sport activity. This authority shall also
include any youth teams practice or instructional event, and such
authority shall include the authorization to direct any person or
persons involved in any incident in violation of this chapter or applicable
code of conduct to immediately remove themselves from the premises.
A.Â
Any participant, parent, official, coach, or spectator 18 years old
or older who is banned for 12 months from a youth sports event for
a violation of this code of conduct shall be required to complete
anger management or an equivalent counseling program consisting of
not less than 12 hours of instruction and shall provide proof of satisfactory
completion to the Code of Conduct Committee.
B.Â
Any person 17 years old or younger who is banned for 12 months from
a youth sports event for violation of this code of conduct shall be
required to complete anger management or equivalent counseling program
consisting of not less than six hours of instruction and shall provide
proof of satisfactory completion to the Code of Conduct Committee.
A.Â
The Code of Conduct Committee shall meet in January of each year
to elect a Chairman and Secretary, and such other officers as the
Code of Conduct Committee shall deem appropriate, and may meet as
often as is necessary to conduct its business and for the purpose
of enforcing this chapter.
B.Â
In order to conduct business and hearings or change or adopt new
codes of conduct, a quorum of five Committee members must be present
and will have all authority as set forth in this chapter.
C.Â
The Code of Conduct Committee may establish rules and procedures
as it deems appropriate for the conduct of its business and, in default
thereof, shall operate pursuant to Robert's Rules of Order to
the extent they are not in conflict with this chapter.
A.Â
Upon determination by a majority vote of the highest ranking official
and the governing board of the youth sports activity that a parent,
guest, spectator, coach or official at any youth sports event sponsored
by such youth sports has violated a provision of this chapter or the
code of conduct of the youth sports activity, the Code of Conduct
Committee shall forward to such violator a notice, via regular and
certified mail, identifying the date, location, nature of the violation
and the period of the banning or other action to be taken in response
to such violation.
B.Â
Any parent, official, coach or spectator at a youth sports event
who believes that there has been a violation of this chapter or the
code of conduct has been violated shall forward their name, address,
phone number, violation of ordinance, date, location of violation
and nature of the violation to the Code of Conduct Committee. The
Committee will then investigate the incident and, upon determination
by majority vote of the committee, such official shall forward to
such violator a notice, via regular and certified mail, indicating
the date and location and nature of the violation and the period of
banning or other action to be taken in response to such violation.
C.Â
Any person receiving such notice who wishes to contest same shall
appeal to the City of Burlington Code of Conduct Committee within
seven calendar days of the mailing of said notice by forwarding a
copy of said notice with a written request for appeal, specifically
setting forth the basis of such person's contest of the notice
of violation, via personal delivery, fax or certified mail, to the
Chairperson of the Code of Conduct Committee at the address specified
and, if none, then to the Code of Conduct Committee, c/o City of Burlington,
525 High Street, Burlington, New Jersey 08016.
D.Â
Upon receipt of such appeal, the Code of Conduct Committee shall
convene within seven days and provide an opportunity for said person
and any interested person or persons to appear and be heard with respect
to the occurrence of any violation and action taken by the Code of
Conduct Committee.
E.Â
The Code of Conduct Committee shall review statements, firsthand
accounts and any other pertinent information or documentation relevant
to the violation and, upon a majority vote of members of the Committee
present at such hearing, may sustain, overturn, or modify the notice
of violation consistent with this chapter or the code of conduct.
F.Â
All notices of violation and banning or other actions taken shall
remain in effect until overturned or modified by the Code of Conduct
Committee.
G.Â
In the event any notice of violation is not appealed within seven
days of such notice, said notice of violation and action taken by
the official or Code of Conduct Committee, including banning from
youth sports events or other action taken, shall become final.