Individuals with firsthand knowledge of misconduct may submit a complaint to the Division of Professional Practices using the appropriate complaint forms listed below. The complaint form includes an affidavit. Please review the instructions
and complete the affidavit.
Upon receipt of your complaint, the affidavit will be reviewed and a determination will be made whether the complaints fall under the purview of the Commission.
Affidavit Instructions
The affidavit form must be signed under penalty of perjury. The forms may be duplicated and may be filled out or written by the witness or another person, but must be verified by the witness by signing the certification at the end of the affidavit.
Pursuant to Education Code section 44242.5(b)(2), the Committee has jurisdiction to commence an investigation upon receipt of an affidavit or declaration signed by one who has personal knowledge of the acts alleged to constitute misconduct.
Upon receipt, the affidavit will be reviewed and a determination made as to whether or not its contents is sufficient to warrant further consideration and review by the Committee of Credentials.
Please review carefully the following suggestions
when preparing your affidavit for filing with the Committee of Credentials:
- State specific acts or omissions observed that are relevant to the alleged misconduct. Each affidavit should include specific facts as to each incident, including, who, what, where, when, why and how.
- Do not state conclusions. Be specific. For example, state "I saw him/her drink an excessive amount of alcohol," "I smelled alcohol on his/her breath and he/she was walking unsteadily."
- The affidavit should identify the individual against whom you are complaining by full name, date of birth and social security number (if available to you).
- The affidavit must be based on firsthand knowledge. This means that the person who actually saw or heard the alleged misconduct must sign the affidavit.
Please be advised that the individual against whom the complaint is filed will receive a copy of the affidavit or witness form. Upon completion of the review, you will be advised of the Committee's recommendation. When the action is final you will be advised of the Commission's action.
- Complaint Affidavit Form [PDF]
Use this form to file a complaint of misconduct against an educator. The complainant must have firsthand knowledge of the misconduct as described in the instructions. - Complaint Affidavit Form with parent signature [PDF]
Use this affidavit form when the individual with firsthand knowledge is unable to communicate the alleged misconduct in writing or in English.
Attaching Documents to your Affidavit
If you are attaching documents to your affidavit, please describe each document in the body of your affidavit.
For example:
"Attached and incorporated by reference is my [ two page ] letter dated [ January 1, 20xx ] , that I received from [ ABC ] school district."
Attaching Affidavit Statement
You may also attach the following statement to your letter in lieu of completing an affidavit form:
"I certify under penalty of perjury of the laws of California that I have read the foregoing statement of facts and know its contents, and that it is true and correct."
Date_________________ Signature of Complainant _____________________