[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council
of the Township of Washington 10-16-2002 by Ord. No. 21-2002 and 22-2002 amended in
its entirety 11-13-2013 by Ord.
No. 34-2013. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
A written specification of the behavior of parents, guardians,
coaches and officials prepared by each sports advisory board, which
must at a minimum incorporate the terms of the within article in its
bylaws.
Using the internet, cell phone or other device to post or
send text, video or an image with the intent or knowledge, or reckless
disregard, that the text, video or image will harm or grossly embarrass,
or threatens, a participant parent or legal guardian of a participant,
coach or official.
Any sports organization pursuant to a nonprofit or similar
charter which is affiliated with or receives monetary or other support
or services from the Township of Washington or regularly utilizes
any facilities owned, operated or maintained by the Township, which
sports organization participates in sporting competitions involving
minors.
Any competition, practice or instructional event involving
one or more youth sports teams.
Every sports team shall be required to follow the Code of Conduct
as set forth in this article.
The Code of Conduct will be made available to all parents and
guardians of each child participating in a sports team.
Any parent, guest, spectator, coach or official at any youth
sports event who initiates a fight, scuffle or any type of physical
abuse or threats of abuse towards any player, coach, official, parent
or spectator shall be banned from attendance at all youth sports events
within the Township of Washington for a period not exceeding 12 months
from the date of the incident.
Any parent, guest, coach, or official at any youth sporting
event who enters the field of play, court or rink during any youth
sporting event for the purpose of physically or verbally abusing or
confronting coaches, players or officials shall be banned from attendance
at all youth sports events within the Township of Washington for a
period not exceeding 12 months from the date of the incident.
Any parent, guest, spectator, coach or official at any youth
sports event who verbally abuses officials, players or spectators,
including the use of obscene or profane language or gestures or racial,
ethnic or sexual slurs, may be banned from all youth sports events
for a period not acceding 12 months from the date of the incident
and shall be subject to such discipline as provided for by the applicable
team's Code of Conduct.
No participant parent or legal guardian of a participant, coach
or official may engage in prohibited internet and electronic communications,
if the prohibited internet and electronic communications are directly
related to or connected with a youth sport event. Any participant,
parent or legal guardian of a participant coach or official who engages
in prohibited internet and electronic communications may be banned
from all youth sporting events for a period not exceeding 12 months
from the date of the incident and shall be subject to such discipline
as provided for by the applicable team's Code of Conduct.
Any parent, guest, spectator, or official at any youth sports
event who throws or causes to be deposited any object on the field
of play, court or rink during any youth sports event may be banned
from attendance at all youth sports events for a period of 12 months
from the date of the incident and shall be subject to such discipline
as provided for by the applicable sports team's Code of Conduct.
Any person banned for 12 months from youth sports events for
a violation of the Code of Conduct, prior to being allowed to resume
attendance at any youth sports event, shall be required to complete
an anger management or equivalent counseling program consisting of
no less than 12 hours of instruction and shall provide proof of satisfactory
completion to the Code of Conduct Committee. Any banning for less
than 12 months may include up to 12 hours of anger management.
Any parent, official, coach or spectator at any youth sporting
event shall be subject to the authority of all field officials, including
umpires and referees, and elected league officials of the youth sports
team or teams sponsoring the youth sports event or, in the absence
of such persons at a youth sports team's practice or instructional
event, to the authority of the ranking youth sports team coach on
the premises. Such authority shall include the authorization to direct
any person or persons involved in any incident in violation of this
article or the applicable sports team's Code of Conduct to immediately
remove themselves from the premises.
A.Â
Upon a determination by a majority vote of the highest ranking officials
and the governing board of a youth sports team that a parent, guest,
spectator, coach or official at any youth sports event sponsored by
such youth sports team has violated a provision of this article or
the Code of Conduct of the youth sports team, such official shall
forward to such violator a notice via regular and certified mail indicating
the date and location and nature of the violation and period of banning
or other action to be taken in response to such violation.
B.Â
Any person receiving such a notice who wishes to contest same shall
appeal to the Township of Washington Code of Conduct Committee within
seven calendar days of the mailing of said notice by forwarding a
copy of said notice with a written request for appeal specifically
setting forth the basis of such person's contest of the notice
of violation via personal delivery or certified mail to the Chairperson
of the Code of Conduct Committee at 523 Egg Harbor Road, Sewell, New
Jersey 08080.
C.Â
Upon receipt of such appeal, the Code of Conduct Committee shall
convene within 10 days and provide an opportunity for said person
and any interested person to appear and be heard with respect to the
occurrence of any violation and the action taken by the youth sports
team.
D.Â
The Code of Conduct Committee shall be authorized to hear testimony
under oath, review affidavits and such other and further information
or documentation relevant to the violation and, upon a majority vote
of the members of the Committee present at such hearing, may sustain,
overturn or modify the youth sports team's notice of violation
and the period of banning or other action taken in response to such
violation consistent with this article or the youth sports team's
bylaws or Code of Conduct.
E.Â
All notices of violation and bannings shall remain in effect until
overturned or modified by the Code of Conduct Committee.
F.Â
In the event any notice of violation is not appealed within 10 days
of such notice, said notice of violation and the action taken by the
youth sports team official, including banning from youth sports events,
shall become final.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any sports organization organized pursuant to a nonprofit
or similar charter which is affiliated with or receives economic or
other support from the Township of Washington or regularly utilizes
any facilities or premises owned, operated or maintained by the Township
of Washington, which sports organization participates in sporting
competitions involving minors.
The Code of Conduct Committee shall be comprised of a duly elected
member from each sport advisory board.
Each sport advisory board shall annually advise the Township
Clerk of the name, address and telephone number of its duly elected
member who shall serve on the Code of Conduct Committee commensurate
with his/her term of office with the sport advisory board.
Each sport advisory board shall notify the Township Clerk, in
writing, promptly upon any change of the identity of the sport advisory
board's duly elected member.
The Code of Conduct Committee shall be charged with enforcing the provisions Article I of this chapter.
The Code of Conduct Committee shall meet in January of each year to elect a Chairman, Secretary and such other officers as the Code of Conduct Committee shall deem appropriate and may meet as often as is necessary to conduct its business and for the purpose of enforcing Article I of this chapter.
The Code of Conduct Committee may establish rules and procedures as it deems appropriate for the conduct of its business and, in default thereof, shall operate pursuant to Roberts Rules of Order to the extent they are not in conflict with this article or Article I of this chapter.
