7560 - Notification of Sex Offenders

Policy: Notification of Sex Offenders	Policy Number: 7560
Date of Original Policy: 07/10/2002	Date Revision Adopted: 11/03/2021
Reviewed by Policy Committee: 10/17/2021	Date of Next Review: 10/21/2024
Replacement of Policy Number:

In accordance with the Sex Offender Registration Act (“Megan’s Law”), the Board of Education supports the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) in its effort to inform the community in certain circumstances of the presence of individuals with a history of sex offenses, particularly against children, in the school locality. This policy is enacted in order to minimize the possibility that the sex offender will come in contact with school-age children, and to assist law enforcement agencies in preventing further criminal activity from occurring. Furthermore, the District shall cooperate with local police authorities and the local community in promoting and protecting the safety and well being of its students.
 
It is the policy of the Board of Education to disseminate all information which the District receives from local police authorities in conjunction with Megan’s Law to designated staff members who might have possible contact with the offender during the course of their school duties including, but not limited to, building principals, supervisors, teachers, office personnel, coaches, custodians, bus drivers, and security personnel. The Superintendent reserves the right to automatically disseminate such information to additional members of the staff, designated supervisors of non-school groups that regularly use District facilities and have children in attendance, parents/guardians of District students, and other community residents who, in the opinion of the Superintendent, have an immediate need to be notified of such data in order to protect the safety of our students.
 
All staff members shall be informed of the availability of the information received by the District pursuant to Megan’s Law upon written request to the applicable building principal/designee or supervisor. Community residents shall be notified of the availability of this information, with written requests directed to the District Office.
 
Staff members shall inform their immediate supervisor if they observe within the school building, on school grounds, at school activities, or at or near bus routes any individual whose description matches the information which was provided to the District by local law enforcement authorities. Such law enforcement officials will be notified of this information by the District as appropriate.
 
Information that is disseminated to the School District pursuant to Megan’s Law may be disclosed or not disclosed by the District in its discretion.
 
Any information which the School District receives regarding a sex offender from a source other than the Sex Offender Registry, and which is maintained independent of the requirements of Megan’s Law, will be available from the District, upon written request, in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Law.
 
Implementation
 
Administrative regulations shall be developed to implement this policy.

42 U.S.C. §1407(d)
Correction Law, Article 6-C (Sex Offender Registration Act)
Doe v. Pataki, 1998 WL 230955 (S.D.N.Y. May 7, 1998) (current injunction)
Doe v. Pataki, 120 F.3d 1263 (2d. Cir. 1997), cert. denied, 118 Sup. Ct. 1066 (1998)