Suspended Or Expelled
N.J.S.A. 18A:37-2 — the conduct that is good cause, and N.J.S.A. 18A:37-4 — a suspension reported to the board
What is good cause. A pupil guilty of continued and willful disobedience, open defiance of the authority of a teacher, the habitual use of profanity or obscene language, or injuring school property is liable to suspension or expulsion. Good cause includes, among others:
- Conduct that is a continuing danger to the physical well-being of other pupils.
- Physical assault upon another pupil.
- Taking, or attempting to take, property or money from another pupil by force or fear.
- Willfully causing, or attempting to cause, substantial damage to school property.
- Taking part in, or inciting, an unauthorized occupation of a school building, or inciting truancy.
- Knowing possession or consumption of alcohol or controlled dangerous substances on school premises, or being under their influence there.
- Harassment, intimidation or bullying.
Who suspends, and who is told. The principal, or the teacher in a one teacher school, may suspend a pupil for good cause, and reports it at once to the superintendent. The suspension is reported to the board of education at its next regular meeting.
Reinstatement. The teacher, principal or superintendent may reinstate the pupil before the board's second regular meeting after the suspension, unless the board reinstates the pupil at its first.
A district's own code of conduct and board rules fill in much of the detail, and they are not on this page. How a particular suspension applies to a particular student is a question for a licensed New Jersey attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- N.J.S.A. 18A:37-2 — Causes for suspension, expulsion of pupils
- N.J.S.A. 18A:37-4 — Suspension of pupils by teacher or principal
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New Jersey attorney.