No Background Check For Hundreds of NJ School Board Members

More than 350 local school board members in New Jersey face losing their jobs or even going to jail for not completing a criminal background check required under a new law.

Board members were required to complete the background check by Dec. 31.

The Star-Ledger of Newark reports that 165 charter school board officials and 189 non-charter school board members failed to submit the background check.

Under legislation passed last year, they are required to resign their positions immediately and could be charged with a fourth-degree crime if they refuse to step down.

The state Department of Education could release the names of the board members by the end of the week.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)