(a) In addition to any other prohibition or provision, no person who has been convicted of a violent or serious felony shall be employed by a school district pursuant to this chapter. A school district shall not retain in employment a current classified employee who has been convicted of a violent or serious felony, and who is a temporary, substitute, or a probationary employee who has not attained permanent status.

(b) This section applies to any violent or serious offense which, if committed in this state, would have been punishable as a violent or serious felony.

(c) (1) For purposes of this section, a violent felony is any felony listed in subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 of the Penal Code and a serious felony is any felony listed in subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7 of the Penal Code.

(2) For purposes of this section, the term “school district” has the same meaning as defined in Section 41302.5.

(d) When the Department of Justice ascertains that an individual who is an applicant for employment by a school district has been convicted of a violent or serious felony, the department shall notify the school district of the criminal information pertaining to the applicant. The notification shall be delivered by telephone and shall be confirmed in writing and delivered to the school district by first-class mail.

(e) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a person shall not be denied employment or terminated from employment solely on the basis that the person has been convicted of a violent of serious felony if the person has obtained a certificate of rehabilitation and pardon pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 4852.01) of Title 6 of Part 3 of the Penal Code.

(f) Notwithstanding subdivision (e), a person shall not be denied employment or terminated from employment solely on the basis that the person has been convicted of a serious felony that is not also a violent felony if that person can prove to the sentencing court of the offense in question, by clear and convincing evidence, that he or she has been rehabilitated for the purposes of school employment for at least one year. If the offense in question occurred outside this state, then the person may seek a finding of rehabilitation from the court in the school district in which he or she is a resident.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when the Department of Justice notifies a school district by telephone that a current temporary, substitute, or probationary employee who has not attained permanent status, has been convicted of a violent or serious felony, that employee shall immediately be placed on leave without pay. When the school district receives written notification of the fact of conviction from the Department of Justice, the employee shall be terminated automatically and without regard to any other procedure for termination specified in this code or school district procedures unless the employee challenges the record of the Department of Justice and the Department of Justice withdraws in writing its notification to the school district. Upon receipt of written withdrawal of notification from the Department of Justice, the employee shall immediately be reinstated with full restoration of salary and benefits for the period of time from the suspension without pay to the reinstatement.

(h) Notwithstanding Section 47610, this section applies to a charter school.

(Added by Stats. 1997, Ch. 589, Sec. 4. Effective September 30, 1997.)