Poll: Should New Background Checks Law be Challenged?

Friday is the last day members of New Jersey boards of education can register for fingerprinting and criminal background checks required under a new law before the state Department of Education begins taking steps to remove them from office.

At Monday night's Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education meeting, board President Robert Horowitz said he had interrupted a business trip last week to follow-up on registering for the check and fingerprinting (whihc board members must pay out of their own pockets) in time, after receiving notice from the state that he hadn't done so, and he urged others to be sure they've also done so.

At the meeting, board member Lisa DeMizio said she hadn't registered yet—and questioned whether or not the NJ Department of Education has the legal authority to remove members for not obtaining the checks, something she said the legisation does not actually include. 

Horowitz said he didn't think he—or DeMizio—should be test cases for the law, but we wondered: if the law didn't actually provide the authority for removal from office, and board members have to pay for the checks themselves—should someone challenge the law?