§ 18A:16-6 — Indemnity of officers and employees against action, proceeding; exceptions.

18A:16-6. Whenever any civil or administrative action or other legal proceeding has been or shall be brought against any person holding any office, position or employment under the jurisdiction of any board of education, including any student teacher or person assigned to other professional pre-teaching field experience, for any act or omission arising out of and in the course of the performance of the duties of such office, position, employment or student teaching or other assignment to professional field experience, the board shall defray all costs of defending such action, including reasonable counsel fees and expenses, together with costs of appeal, if any, and shall save harmless and protect such person from any financial loss resulting therefrom; provided that a. no employee shall be entitled to be held harmless or have his defense costs defrayed in a disciplinary proceeding instituted against him by the board or when the employee is appealing an action taken by the board; and b. indemnification for exemplary or punitive damages shall not be mandated and shall be governed by the standards and procedures set forth in N.J.S.59:10-4. Any board of education may arrange for and maintain appropriate insurance to cover all such damages, losses and expenses. L.1967, c.271; amended 1977, c.216; 2001, c.178, s.2.