In the Matter of Christine Hesse, Bay Head Board of Education, Ocean County, 10/20/25 (#499-25SEC)

499-25SEC
SEC Dkt. No. T20-25
Agency Dkt. No. 206-6/25
New Jersey Commissioner of Education
Final Decision
In the Matter of Christine Hesse,
Bay Head Board of Education,
Ocean County
The record of this matter and the decision of the School Ethics Commission (SEC) have been
reviewed. The SEC found that respondent violated N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33 by failing to timely complete
the required board member training. The SEC’s decision was forwarded to the Commissioner for
final determination on the recommended penalty pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:12-29(c). 	The SEC
recommended a sanction of removal effective upon the adoption of the decision by the
Commissioner. Alternatively, if respondent completed the required training before the issuance of
the Commissioner’s final decision and notified the SEC accordingly, the SEC recommended a
sanction of a sixty-day suspension. 	Respondent neither filed exceptions to the recommended
penalty, nor instituted an appeal of the SEC’s underlying finding of violation pursuant to
N.J.A.C. 6A:4-1 et seq.
After the decision was issued, the district’s Business Administrator contacted the SEC on
respondent’s behalf to advise that the training had been completed. The email chain demonstrates
that respondent was aware of the issuance of the SEC’s Order to Show Cause (OTSC) when it was
issued on May 20, 2025, as she forwarded it to the Bay Head Board of Education’s Board Secretary
on the same date; the Board Secretary also forwarded it to the Business Administrator on that date.
Nonetheless, the respondent failed to ever respond to the SEC’s OTSC, despite her responsibility to

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complete the training and the importance of the OTSC to her continued membership on the Board.
Nor did the Board Secretary or Business Administrator contact the SEC on her behalf until after the
decision was issued, resulting in the unnecessary expenditure of time and resources. 	For these
reasons, the Commissioner finds that a sixty-day suspension is appropriate.
Accordingly, respondent is suspended for sixty days from the date of this decision for
violating the School Ethics Act.
IT IS SO ORDERED.1
COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
Date of Decision: 	October 20, 2025
Date of Mailing: 	October 20, 2025
1 This decision may be appealed to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:6-
9.1. Under N.J.Ct.R. 2:4-1(b), a notice of appeal must be filed with the Appellate Division within 45 days from the date
of mailing of this decision.

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Before the School Ethics Commission
Docket No.: T20-25
Decision for Failure to Complete Mandatory Training
Requirement in a Timely Manner
I/M/O Christine Hesse,
Bay Head Board of Education, Ocean County
I. 	Procedural History
This matter arises from an Order to Show Cause (OTSC) that was issued by the School Ethics
Commission (Commission) in connection with the above-captioned matter at its meeting on May 20, 2025,
directing Christine Hesse1 (Respondent), a “board member” as defined in N.J.S.A. 18A:12-23 of the School
Ethics Act (Act), N.J.S.A. 18A:12-21 et seq., to show cause as to why the Commission should not find
Respondent in violation of the Act, for failing to complete training as required by N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33 and
N.J.A.C. 6A:28-4.1.
In the OTSC that was served on May 20, 2025, the Commission notified Respondent that she had
twenty (20) days to respond to the OTSC. Respondent was further advised that failure to respond would be
deemed an admission of the facts set forth in the OTSC, and the Commission may take action on a summary
basis, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:28-1.6(c).
II. 	Analysis
The Act was enacted by the New Jersey State Legislature to ensure and preserve public confidence in
members of local boards of education and local school administrators. N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33 and N.J.A.C.
6A:28-4.1 require every board member to complete a training program prepared and offered by the New
Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA).
Respondent is a member of the Bay Head Board of Education, located in Ocean County. As a result
of her position as a board of education member, and in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33 and N.J.A.C.
6A:28-4.1, Respondent is required to complete a mandated training program on an annual basis. For
convenience and ease, the training is offered online so any board member may complete it at any time, from
anywhere. According to NJSBA, Respondent was required to complete the Governance 4 training program
by December 31, 2024.
On or about March 17, 2025, the NJSBA provided the Commission with the names of those board of
education members who failed to complete mandated training by December 31, 2024, and the list provided
included Respondent. Prior to that time, multiple communications about mandated training were sent to
Respondent from the NJSBA through a variety of means, including targeted e-mail messages on November
6, 2024, January 6, 2025, February 24, 2025, March 17, 2025, and May 12, 2025, as well as postings in
School Board Notes on 25 occasions. Notwithstanding all of these communications, Respondent did not
complete mandated training.
1 Respondent was the subject of an OTSC issued on June 17, 2024. Despite not completing her training by December 31, 2023, the
matter was administratively dismissed because Respondent completed her training on June 5, 2024.

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As a final warning, the Commission’s staff sent e-mails to Respondent dated March 24, 2025, April
14, 2025, and May 1, 2025, advising Respondent that the Commission required completion of the training by
May 13, 2025, to avoid the issuance of an OTSC for non-compliance. Again, notwithstanding this
correspondence, Respondent did not complete the required training. As a result, an OTSC was issued by the
Commission at its meeting on May 20, 2025.
To date, there is no dispute that Respondent did not complete her required training by December 31,
2024, and did not complete the training prior to the Commission’s final deadline of May 13, 2025, and
therefore, the Commission issued an OTSC at its meeting on May 20, 2025. After having been served with
the OTSC, Respondent failed to respond to the Commission’s OTSC as to why he/she did not complete
training by December 31, 2024, and also failed to complete training as required by N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33 and
N.J.A.C. 6A:28-4.1.
III. 	Decision/Penalty Recommendation
N.J.A.C. 6A:28-4.2(d) provides that school board members and charter school trustees who fail to
comply with their training mandate shall be considered in violation of N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33. 	Based on the
record as set forth above, at its meeting on June 17, 2025, the Commission found that Respondent violated
N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33. Respondent received repeated notifications of her training requirement, and had ample
opportunity to complete the mandated training in a timely fashion; nonetheless, Respondent failed to
complete training as required.
For the reasons set forth above and given that Respondent was previously the subject of an OTSC,
the Commission recommends that the Commissioner of Education impose a penalty of removal, with such
removal to become effective immediately upon issuance of the Commissioner of Education’s decision.
However, if Respondent completes training before the Commissioner of Education adopts a final decision
(which will be within forty-five (45) days after the mailing date of this decision), then the Commission
recommends that the Commissioner of Education, in lieu of removal, impose a Sixty (60) day suspension,
with such suspension to become effective immediately upon issuance of the Commissioner of Education’s
decision, provided the board member or trustee provides written notice of successful completion of the
training requirement.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:12-29(c), this decision shall be forwarded to the Commissioner of
Education for review of the Commission’s recommended penalty. Respondent may either: 1) file exceptions
to the recommended sanction; 2) file an appeal of the Commission’s finding of a violation; or 3) file both
exceptions to the recommended sanction together with an appeal of the finding of a violation.
Parties taking exception to the recommended sanction of the Commission but not disputing the
Commission’s finding of a violation may file, within thirteen (13) days from the date the Commission’s
decision is forwarded to the Commissioner, written exceptions regarding the recommended penalty to the
Commissioner. The forwarding date shall be the mailing date to the parties, as indicated below. Such
exceptions must be forwarded to: Commissioner of Education, c/o Bureau of Controversies and Disputes,
P.O. Box 500, Trenton, New Jersey 08625, marked “Attention: Comments on Ethics Commission Sanction.”
as well as to (ControversiesDisputesFilings@doe.nj.gov). A copy must also be sent to the Commission
(school.ethics@doe.nj.gov) and all other parties.
Parties seeking to appeal the Commission’s finding of violation must file an appeal pursuant to the
standards set forth at N.J.A.C. 6A:4:1 et seq. within thirty (30) days of the filing date of the decision from

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which the appeal is taken. The filing date shall be three (3) days after the date of mailing to the parties, as
shown below. In such cases, the Commissioner’s review of the Commission’s recommended sanction will be
deferred and incorporated into the Commissioner’s review of the finding of violation on appeal. Where a
notice of appeal has been filed on or before the due date for exceptions to the Commission’s recommended
sanction (thirteen (13) days from the date the decision is mailed by the Commission), exceptions need not be
filed by that date, but may be incorporated into the appellant’s briefs on appeal.
______________________________
Robert W. Bender, Chairperson
Mailing Date: June 17, 2025

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Resolution Adopting Decision for Failure to Complete Mandatory
Training Requirement in a Timely Manner
Docket No.: T20-25
Whereas, Christine Hesse (Respondent) is a “board member” as defined in N.J.S.A. 18A:12-23 of the School
Ethics Act (Act); and
Whereas, as a board member, Respondent is required to complete a training program prepared and offered by
the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) on an annual basis; and
Whereas, Respondent failed to complete her training program by December 31, 2024; and
Whereas, at its meeting on May 20, 2025, the School Ethics Commission (Commission) issued an Order to
Show Cause (OTSC) directing Respondent to show cause as to why she failed to complete his mandatory training by
December 31, 2024, as required by N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33 and N.J.A.C. 6A:28-4.1; and
Whereas, after having been served with the OTSC, Respondent failed to respond to the Commission’s OTSC
as to why she did not complete training by December 31, 2024, and also failed to complete training as required by
N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33 and N.J.A.C. 6A:28-4.1; and
Whereas, at its meeting on June 17, 2025, the Commission found that Respondent violated N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33
and N.J.A.C. 6A:28-4.1 by failing to complete the training requirement she was obligated to complete; and
Whereas, Respondent was previously the subject of an OTSC for failing to complete the training requirement
she was obligated to complete; and
Whereas, at its meeting on June 17, 2025, the Commission recommended that the Commissioner of Education
impose a penalty of removal, with such removal to become effective immediately upon issuance of a final decision by
the Commissioner of Education. However, if Respondent completes training before the Commissioner of Education
adopts a final decision (which will be within forty-five (45) days after the mailing date of this decision), then the
Commission recommends that the Commissioner of Education, in lieu of removal, impose a sixty (60) day suspension,
with such suspension to become effective immediately upon issuance of a final decision by the Commissioner of
Education, provided the board member or trustee provides written notice of the successful completion of the training
requirement; and
Whereas, at its meeting on June 17, 2025, the Commission agreed that the within decision accurately
memorializes its findings and recommendations; and
Now Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Commission hereby adopts the within decision and directs its staff to
notify all parties to this action of the decision.
Robert W. Bender, Chairperson
I certify that the within Resolution was duly adopted
by the School Ethics Commission at its public meeting
on June 17, 2025.
Dana Jones
School Ethics Commission