Webber testifies to protect children from sexual predators in school

TRENTON, N.J. –  Assemblyman Jay Webber shared a personal story Tuesday about a teacher in his district who was a sexual predator and still got teaching jobs in the state.  Webber sponsored legislation to stop predators from being hired again. The committee passed it unanimously.

“We have a problem in our state,” said Webber (R-Morris). “We have a big loophole for child predators who work with our children in schools, who can commit heinous acts, begin to be investigated about those acts and then agree to resign before any conclusions are drawn.”

The Webber bill (A2199) requires school districts to share information about sexual misconduct and child abuse investigations unless the claims were proven to be false or unsubstantiated, and grant school districts legal immunity.  It would also ban the separation agreements that force districts to destroy or withhold information about those probes.

Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey, New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and 16 other advocate organizations joined together to support and urge prompt passage of Webber’s bill. Rush Russell, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey, and Patricia Teffenhart, executive director of the N.J. Coalition Against Sexual Assault, also testified in the education committee to support Webber’s bill.

Webber told the committee the story of Jason Fennes, the former Montville High School teacher whose sexual assault of five female students spurred his suspension and resignation.

Fennes was then hired by a private school that confirmed his employment, but Montville was bound by a separation agreement preventing them from sharing his past abuse.  Subsequently, he sexually assaulted a first-grade girl less than a year after his hire for which he is now serving a 14-year state prison sentence.

“The incentives as they are set up now encourage school districts to enter into these non-disclosure agreements that allow the predatory educator to move on to the next school district.  Under current law, if you were to tell the next school district about what you had suspected you could be sued for libel,” said Webber.

The bill was modeled largely on a Pennsylvania statute, which was adopted unanimously by the Pennsylvania state legislature three years ago.  He said at least five other states – Connecticut, Nevada, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington state – passed similar laws.

“The bill that we are discussing will help address that and I think eliminate that problem.”