[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Raritan as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted by Ord. No. 07-11 (Ch. 8.52 of the 2000 Code)]
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
The purpose of this article is to promote the health, safety and welfare of the children of the Township by prohibiting and barring individuals who have been convicted of crimes considered to be a disqualifying event under N.J.S.A. 15A:3A-3 from acting in a position in the Township which involves coaching or assistant coaching of minors, whether such individuals are volunteer or paid coaches as part of either nonprofit or for-profit organizations.
A. 
It is the policy of the Township that all individuals currently volunteering, paid as, serving as, or seeking to become a coach in the Township of Raritan, whether such individuals are coaches as part of either nonprofit or for-profit organizations (the "organization"), including both head or assistant coaching positions (a "coach"), of children under the age of 18 involved in sports or recreational activities in the Township of Raritan ("minors") shall be fingerprinted and undergo a state and federal criminal history background check. This policy shall not apply to coaches that are employed by or volunteer for coaching positions supervised by any Board of Education for the Township of Raritan.
B. 
If any Township field or facility, including but not limited to schools and parks, is used by any team or organization for any practice, game or clinic, all coaches affiliated with such team or organization are required to be fingerprinted and undergo a state and federal criminal history background check in accordance with this section. This requirement shall apply to all individuals serving as a volunteer or paid coach within the Township, including those individuals that are coaches as part of teams or organizations affiliated with Township sports organizations, as well as those teams or organizations that are formed independently.
C. 
If any coach of a team or organization affiliated with Township sports organizations is determined to have a criminal record containing a disqualifying event, that coach shall be removed immediately from any current position as coach and permanently barred from any future position as coach within the Township. If any coach of a team or organization independent from or not affiliated with a Township sports organization is determined to have a criminal record containing a disqualifying event, that coach shall be permanently barred from acting as a coach within the Township, and such team or Organization shall designate another individual to serve as a coach in the barred coach's place or the organization will not be permitted to use any Township field or facility. Once an individual is cleared to act as a coach after having been found to have no criminal record containing a disqualifying event, that individual shall be approved to coach within the Township for a period of three years, after which time the coach shall be required to undergo a follow-up state and federal criminal history background check in order to continue to act as a coach in the Township.
A. 
All organizations must register with the New Jersey Volunteer Review Operations (VRO) Program for the purpose of obtaining criminal background checks on all of their coaches pursuant to N.J.S.A. 15A:3A-1 through 15A:3A-5 and N.J.A.C. 13:59 as may be amended from time to time, so that VRO can process each coach applicant's fingerprint cards, review the record once received, and respond to the registered agency organization with a letter reporting a recommendation of approval or denial for each coach. Any coach from a team or organization independent from or not affiliated with a Township sports organization may forego registration with the VRO for a criminal background check if the team or organization provides proof to the satisfaction of the Township Police Chief that every individual who will act as a coach within the Township has undergone fingerprinting and both state and federal criminal background checks and, as a result, has been cleared to coach minors by another municipality or entity within one year past.
B. 
Each organization shall make appropriate arrangements for either the organization or the participating coach to pay the Division of State Police the required background check fee. Each organization that receives a report from the VRO indicating that a participant coach has received a recommendation of denial shall not permit that participating coach to supervise or in any way act as a coach in the organization or any of its sports or recreational activities for or involving minors. The organization shall also immediately notify the Chief of Police of Raritan Township of any applicant coach that has received a recommendation of denial from VRO.
The criminal history record background check and fingerprinting procedure set forth in this article will be conducted, to the extent possible, in a manner intended to preserve the privacy of all parties. To the extent possible, privacy and confidentiality will be maintained.