After two New Jersey teachers union leaders were suspended this week in response to the release of undercover videos in which they apparently sympathize with a fictitious teacher who abused a student, the statewide union has launched a probe of its affiliate members.

The New Jersey Education Association said in a release Thursday afternoon it will commission an independent review of practices after teacher's union presidents from Hamilton and Union City said in the videos they would downplay and not report an incident of child abuse.

The child abuse scenario presented by Project Veritas to the union presidents in the group's undercover videos was fake.

"To ensure that appropriate practices are followed, we are commissioning an independent review of the practices of our local affiliates and staff. The purpose of that review is to ensure that every staff member and local affiliate leader understands and clearly communicates the responsibility of all school employees to report any suspected abuse of children," the union said in its release.

"Based on that review, NJEA will undertake appropriate training to ensure that takes place in every local and in every instance. There is no place for any ambiguity about the responsibility of every adult, in every position within our public schools, to protect the wellbeing of all students."

Hamilton Township Education Association President David R. Perry was suspended and the Hamilton Township school district opened an internal investigation within hours of the project's first video Wednesday. Kathleen Valencia, president of the Union City Education Association, was suspended after a similar incident Thursday.

Despite the probe, the NJEA reiterated in the statement its initial stance, first articulated after the release of the Wednesday video, saying Project Veritas is a "political organization with a long history of releasing deceptively edited videos that later prove to have been dishonest and misleading."

Project Veritas has been criticized for using selective editing to create false impressions about what people in academia, government and social service organizations have said during undercover audio or video conversations.

The union's primary concern, it said in the statement, is the safety and well-being of students.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook.