2023 New Mexico Statutes › Chapter 22 - Public Schools › Article 10A - School Personnel › Section 22-10A-5.1 - Duty to report ethical misconduct; responsibility to investigate ethical misconduct; ethical misconduct report coordination.

A. School district personnel, a school employee, a contractor or a contractor's employee who knows or has a reasonable suspicion that a child or student has been subject to ethical misconduct by school district personnel, a school employee, a school volunteer, a contractor or a contractor's employee shall report the matter immediately to:
(1) the superintendent; or
(2) the department.
B. If a superintendent receives a report pursuant to Subsection A of this section, the superintendent shall immediately transmit to the department by telephone the facts of the report and the name, address and telephone number of the reporter. The superintendent shall transmit the same information in writing within forty-eight hours.
C. If department staff receives a report pursuant to Subsection A of this section, department staff shall immediately transmit to the superintendent by telephone the facts of the report and the name, address and telephone number of the reporter. Department staff shall transmit the same information in writing within forty-eight hours.
D. A written report shall contain the name, address and age of the child or student; the child's or student's parents, guardians or custodians; the school district personnel, school employee, school volunteer, contractor or contractor's employee who is alleged to have committed ethical misconduct; and any evidence of ethical misconduct, including the nature and extent of any injuries and other information that the maker of the report believes might be helpful to investigate a report of ethical misconduct. The written report shall be submitted upon a standardized form developed by the department.
E. Upon receipt of a report of ethical misconduct pursuant to Subsection A of this section, the department shall immediately notify law enforcement if the allegation of ethical misconduct is criminal in nature; provided that the department shall notify a tribal law enforcement or social services agency for any Indian child residing in Indian country.
F. The recipient of a report pursuant to Subsection A of this section shall take immediate steps to ensure prompt investigation of the report. The investigation shall ensure that immediate steps are taken to protect the health or welfare of a student or child who is the subject of a report under Subsection A of this section. A school shall take immediate steps to ensure the safety of enrolled students.
G. After a report of suspected ethical misconduct against a student or child is made to a law enforcement agency, the department or a superintendent pursuant to this section, the office receiving the report shall notify the person making the report within five days after the report was made that the office receiving the report is investigating the matter. Mailing a notice within five days shall constitute compliance with this subsection.
H. A law enforcement agency, the department or a superintendent shall have access to any of the records pertaining to an ethical misconduct case maintained by any of the persons enumerated in Subsection A of this section.
I. A local school board shall adopt policies providing for the coordination and internal tracking of reports made pursuant to this section. Such policies shall include measures to protect the identity of any alleged victims. No policy shall relieve any person having a duty to report pursuant to this section from that duty.
History:
Laws 2021, ch. 94, § 1.
ANNOTATIONS
Effective dates.
— Laws 2021, ch. 94 contained no effective date provision, but, pursuant to N.M. Const., art. IV, § 23, was effective June 18, 2021, 90 days after adjournment of the legislature.