Mich. Comp. Laws § 380.1535a — MI Code / Chapter 380 / Act Act-451-of-1976 / Section 380.1535a
Conviction of person holding teaching certificate for certain crimes; notice of right to hearing; suspension of teaching certificate; summary suspension; findings for action under subsection (1) or (2); compensation; reinstatement, continued suspension, or permanent revocation of teaching certificate; effect of reversal of conviction on final appeal; notice of conviction; evidence of conviction; failure to make final decision and order; construction of section; rules; comparison of individuals holding teaching certificate with conviction information; definitions.
Status: in_force

Sec. 1535a.

(1) Subject to subsection (2), if a person who holds a teaching certificate that is valid in this state has been convicted of a crime described in this subsection, within 10 working days after receiving notice of the conviction the superintendent of public instruction shall notify the person in writing that his or her teaching certificate may be suspended because of the conviction and of his or her right to a hearing before the superintendent of public instruction. The hearing shall be conducted as a contested case under the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328. If the person does not avail himself or herself of this right to a hearing within 15 working days after receipt of this written notification, the teaching certificate of that person shall be suspended. If a hearing takes place, the superintendent of public instruction shall complete the proceedings and make a final decision and order within 120 working days after receiving the request for a hearing. Subject to subsection (2), the superintendent of public instruction may suspend the person's teaching certificate based upon the issues and evidence presented at the hearing. This subsection applies to any of the following crimes:

(a) Any felony.

(b) Any of the following misdemeanors:

( i ) Criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree or an attempt to commit criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree.

( ii ) Child abuse in the third or fourth degree or an attempt to commit child abuse in the third or fourth degree.

( iii ) A misdemeanor involving cruelty, torture, or indecent exposure involving a child.

( iv ) A misdemeanor violation of section 7410 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.7410.

( v ) A violation of section 115, 141a, 335a, or 359 of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.115, 750.141a, 750.335a, and 750.359, or a misdemeanor violation of section 81, 81a, or 145d of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.81, 750.81a, and 750.145d.

( vi ) A misdemeanor violation of section 701 of the Michigan liquor control code of 1998, 1998 PA 58, MCL 436.1701.

( vii ) Any misdemeanor that is a listed offense.

(c) A violation of a substantially similar law of another state, of a political subdivision of this state or another state, or of the United States.

(2) If a person who holds a teaching certificate that is valid in this state has been convicted of a crime described in this subsection, the superintendent of public instruction shall find that the public health, safety, or welfare requires emergency action and shall order summary suspension of the person's teaching certificate under section 92 of the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.292, and shall subsequently provide an opportunity for a hearing as provided under that section. This subsection does not limit the superintendent of public instruction's ability to order summary suspension of a person's teaching certificate for a reason other than described in this subsection. This subsection applies to conviction of any of the following crimes:

(a) Criminal sexual conduct in any degree, assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, or an attempt to commit criminal sexual conduct in any degree.

(b) Felonious assault on a child, child abuse in the first degree, or an attempt to commit child abuse in the first degree.

(c) Cruelty, torture, or indecent exposure involving a child.

(d) A violation of section 7401(2)(a)( i ), 7403(2)(a)( i ), 7410, or 7416 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.7401, 333.7403, 333.7410, and 333.7416.

(e) A violation of section 83, 89, 91, 145a, 145b, 145c, 316, 317, 350, 448, 455, or 529 of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.83, 750.89, 750.91, 750.145a, 750.145b, 750.145c, 750.316, 750.317, 750.350, 750.448, 750.455, and 750.529, or a felony violation of section 145d of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.145d.

(f) A violation of section 158 of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.158, if a victim is an individual less than 18 years of age.

(g) Except for a juvenile disposition or adjudication, a violation of section 338, 338a, or 338b of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.338, 750.338a, and 750.338b, if a victim is an individual less than 18 years of age.

(h) A violation of section 349 of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.349, if a victim is an individual less than 18 years of age.

(i) An offense committed by a person who was, at the time of the offense, a sexually delinquent person as defined in section 10a of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.10a.

(j) Any other crime that is a listed offense.

(k) An attempt or conspiracy to commit an offense listed in subdivision (a), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), or (j).

( l ) A violation of a substantially similar law of another state, of a political subdivision of this state or another state, or of the United States.

(m) Any other crime listed in subsection (1), if the superintendent of public instruction determines the public health, safety, or welfare requires emergency action based on the circumstances underlying the conviction.

(3) All of the following apply to any proceedings affecting a person's teaching certificate under this section:

(a) The superintendent of public instruction shall appoint a designee to perform the investigatory and prosecutorial functions involved in the proceedings. However, the superintendent of public instruction must approve any settlement, conditional agreement, or other decision not to proceed with charges.

(b) Any final action that affects the status of a person's teaching certificate shall be taken by the superintendent of public instruction.

(c) The superintendent of public instruction after a hearing shall not take action against a person's teaching certificate under subsection (1) or (2) unless the superintendent of public instruction finds that the conviction is reasonably and adversely related to the person's present fitness to serve in an elementary or secondary school in this state or that the conviction demonstrates that the person is unfit to teach in an elementary or secondary school in this state. Further, the superintendent of public instruction may take action against a person's teaching certificate under subsection (1) or (2) based on a conviction that occurred before April 1, 2004 if the superintendent of public instruction finds that the conviction is reasonably and adversely related to the person's present fitness to serve in an elementary or secondary school in this state or that the conviction demonstrates that the person is unfit to teach in an elementary or secondary school in this state. For the purposes of this section, conviction of a listed offense is reasonably and adversely related to the person's fitness to serve in an elementary or secondary school in this state and demonstrates that the person is unfit to teach in an elementary or secondary school in this state.

(4) If a person who has entered a plea of guilt or no contest to or who is the subject of a finding of guilt by a judge or jury of a crime listed in subsection (2) has been suspended from active performance of duty by a public school, school district, intermediate school district, or nonpublic school during the pendency of proceedings under this section, the public school, school district, intermediate school district, or nonpublic school employing the person shall discontinue the person's compensation until the superintendent of public instruction has made a final determination of whether or not to suspend or revoke the person's teaching certificate. If the superintendent of public instruction does not suspend or revoke the person's teaching certificate, the public school, school district, intermediate school district, or nonpublic school shall make the person whole for lost compensation, without interest.

(5) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, after the completion of a person's sentence, the person may request a hearing on reinstatement of his or her teaching certificate. Based upon the issues and evidence presented at the hearing, the superintendent of public instruction may reinstate, continue the suspension of, or permanently revoke the person's teaching certificate. The superintendent of public instruction shall not reinstate a person's teaching certificate unless the superintendent of public instruction finds that the person is currently fit to serve in an elementary or secondary school in this state and that reinstatement of the person's teaching certificate will not adversely affect the health, safety, and welfare of pupils. If a person's conviction was for a listed offense, the person is not entitled to request a hearing on reinstatement under this subsection, and the superintendent of public instruction shall not reinstate the person's teaching certificate under this subsection.

(6) All of the following apply to a person described in this section whose conviction is reversed upon final appeal:

(a) The person's teaching certificate shall be reinstated upon his or her notification to the superintendent of public instruction of the reversal.

(b) If the suspension of the person's teaching certificate under this section was the sole cause of his or her discharge from employment, the person shall be reinstated, upon his or her notification to the appropriate local or intermediate school board of the reversal, with full rights and benefits, to the position he or she would have had if he or she had been continuously employed.

(c) If the person's compensation was discontinued under subsection (4), the public school, school district, intermediate school district, or nonpublic school shall make the person whole for lost compensation.

(7) If the prosecuting attorney in charge of a case receives a form as provided under section 1230d, the prosecuting attorney shall notify the superintendent of public instruction, and any public school, school district, intermediate school district, or nonpublic school in which the person is employed by forwarding a copy of the form to each of them not later than 7 days after receiving the form. If the court receives a form as provided under section 1230d, the court shall notify the superintendent of public instruction and any public school, school district, intermediate school district, or nonpublic school in which the person is employed by forwarding to each of them a copy of the form and information regarding the sentence imposed on the person not later than 7 days after the date of sentencing, even if the court is maintaining the file as a nonpublic record.

(8) Not later than 7 days after receiving notification from the prosecuting attorney or the court under subsection (7) or learning through an authoritative source that a person who holds a teaching certificate has been convicted of a crime listed in subsection (1), the superintendent of public instruction shall request the court to provide a certified copy of the judgment of conviction and sentence or other document regarding the disposition of the case to the superintendent of public instruction and shall pay any fees required by the court. The court shall provide this certified copy within 7 days after receiving the request and fees under this section or after entry of the judgment or other document, whichever is later, even if the court is maintaining the judgment or other document as a nonpublic record.

(9) If the superintendent of a school district or intermediate school district, the chief administrative officer of a nonpublic school, the president of the board of a school district or intermediate school district, or the president of the governing board of a nonpublic school is notified or learns through an authoritative source that a person who holds a teaching certificate and who is employed by the school district, intermediate school district, or nonpublic school has been convicted of a crime described in subsection (1) or (2), the superintendent, chief administrative officer, or board president shall notify the superintendent of public instruction of that conviction within 15 days after learning of the conviction.

(10) For the purposes of this section, a certified copy of the judgment of conviction and sentence is conclusive evidence of conviction of a crime described in this section. For the purposes of this section, conviction of a crime described in this section is considered to be reasonably and adversely related to the ability of the person to serve in an elementary or secondary school and is sufficient grounds for suspension or revocation of the person's teaching certificate.

(11) For any hearing under subsection (1), if the superintendent of public instruction does not make a final decision and order within 120 working days after receiving the request for the hearing, as required under subsection (1), the superintendent of public instruction shall submit a report detailing the reasons for the delay to the standing committees and appropriations subcommittees of the senate and house of representatives that have jurisdiction over education and education appropriations. The failure of the superintendent of public instruction to make a final decision and order within this 120 working day time limit, or the failure of any other official or agency to meet a time limit prescribed in this section, does not affect the validity of an action taken under this section affecting a person's teaching certificate.

(12) The superintendent of public instruction shall submit to the legislature an annual report of all final actions he or she has taken under this section affecting a person's teaching certificate during the preceding year. The report shall contain at least all of the following with respect to each person whose teaching certificate has been affected:

(a) The person's name, as it appears on the teaching certificate.

(b) The school district, intermediate school district, public school academy, or nonpublic school in which the person was employed at the time of the conviction, if any.

(c) The offense for which the person was convicted and the date of the offense and date of the conviction.

(d) Whether the action taken by the superintendent of public instruction was a summary suspension, suspension due to failure to request a hearing, suspension, revocation, or reinstatement of the teaching certificate.

(13) This section does not do any of the following:

(a) Prohibit a person who holds a teaching certificate from seeking monetary compensation from a school board or intermediate school board if that right is available under a collective bargaining agreement or another statute.

(b) Limit the rights and powers granted to a school district or intermediate school district under a collective bargaining agreement, this act, or another statute to discipline or discharge a person who holds a teaching certificate.

(14) The superintendent of public instruction may promulgate, as necessary, rules to implement this section pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328.

(15) The department of technology, management, and budget shall work with the department and the department of state police to develop and implement an automated program that does a comparison of the department's list of individuals holding a teaching certificate or state board approval, and of any other list maintained by the department of individuals employed or regularly and continuously working under contract in a school, with the conviction information received by the department of state police. This comparison shall only include individuals who are actually school employees at the time of the comparison or who are regularly and continuously working under contract at the time of the comparison. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, this comparison shall include convictions contained in a nonpublic record. The department and the department of state police shall perform this comparison during January and June of each year until July 1, 2008. The department of state police shall take all reasonable and necessary measures using the available technology to ensure the accuracy of this comparison before transmitting the information under this subsection to the department. The department shall take all reasonable and necessary measures using the available technology to ensure the accuracy of this comparison before notifying a school district, intermediate school district, public school academy, or nonpublic school of a conviction. If a comparison discloses that a person on the department's list of individuals holding a teaching certificate or state board approval has been convicted of a crime, or if the department is otherwise notified by the department of state police that such a person has been convicted of a crime, the department shall notify the superintendent or chief administrator and the board or governing body of the school district, intermediate school district, public school academy, or nonpublic school in which the person is employed of that conviction.

(16) As used in this section:

(a) "Conviction" means a judgment entered by a court upon a plea of guilty, guilty but mentally ill, or nolo contendere or upon a jury verdict or court finding that a defendant is guilty or guilty but mentally ill.

(b) "Felony" means that term as defined in section 1 of chapter I of the code of criminal procedure, 1927 PA 175, MCL 761.1.

(c) "Listed offense" means that term as defined in section 2 of the sex offenders registration act, 1994 PA 295, MCL 28.722.

(d) "Prosecuting attorney" means the prosecuting attorney for a county, an assistant prosecuting attorney for a county, the attorney general, the deputy attorney general, an assistant attorney general, a special prosecuting attorney, or, in connection with the prosecution of an ordinance violation, an attorney for the political subdivision that enacted the ordinance upon which the violation is based.

(e) "Regularly and continuously work under contract" means that term as defined in section 1230d.

History: Add. 1987, Act 61, Eff. Mar. 30, 1988; Am. 1990, Act 35, Imd. Eff. Mar. 22, 1990; Am. 1992, Act 99, Imd. Eff. June 23, 1992; Am. 1994, Act 144, Imd. Eff. June 2, 1994; Am. 1995, Act 97, Imd. Eff. June 22, 1995; Am. 1995, Act 289, Eff. July 1, 1996; Am. 2004, Act 51, Imd. Eff. Apr. 1, 2004; Am. 2005, Act 130, Eff. Jan. 1, 2006; Am. 2006, Act 84, Imd. Eff. Mar. 31, 2006; Am. 2006, Act 680, Imd. Eff. Jan. 10, 2007; Am. 2016, Act 532, Eff. Apr. 9, 2017