by Jason Morris

Its obvious this teachers “union” does not read the employeescreenIQ blog.  Its even more obvious that this group has not done any research on safety in our schools. I can’t believe that this Union can oppose this with a straight face! I empower and encourage all of them to read the articles and postings at employeescreen University.

Teachers call criminal record check law useless
Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun
Published: Monday, June 02, 2008

BRITISH COLUMBIA - The B.C. College of Teachers is mounting a campaign against a new law requiring adults who work with children to have criminal record checks every five years.

The college says the law, as it pertains to teachers, is useless and it hopes to persuade trustees, principals, parents, school staff and first nations to join its call for government to fix it.

It has invited all education partners to a forum June 17 to discuss what could be done instead to better protect children in schools.

“This legislation is bizarre,” Richard Walker, chair of the college’s governing council, said of the law that took effect Jan. 1.

“It’s useless and it’s going to be very costly at the end of the day.”

The B.C. School Trustees’ Association shares the college’s concerns about the law.

“We’re not convinced it is the most effective way of improving student safety,” president Connie Denesiuk said in an interview, adding that she is looking forward to hearing the college’s presentation at the forum.

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by Jason Morris

Historically educators saw their profession as a “gentleman’s profession” held to a higher standard than others.  Above suspicion, they felt background checks were below them and insulted by the gesture.  We have seen similar stories as recent as last month.  This article shows tremendous support for the practice and an acknowledgment of previous fears.  We know there is a requirement of accuracy under the FCRA, apparently one experience in their forum was less than stellar.

An article from the Chronicle of Higher Education

Criminal-Background Checks: An article from the Chronicle of Higher Education

Criminal-background and credit checks are becoming a common element of faculty and administrative searches. Many states, and an increasing number of private colleges, are requiring background checks prior to or as part of job offers. My university added them this year, and thus we have been navigating in new waters as we deal with candidates during the offer process.

A certain amount of griping has ensued. One of the clearest vestiges of academe’s history as a “gentleman’s profession” is the idea that we, as academics and holders of advanced degrees, are somehow above suspicion, and thus requiring a background check is insulting and degrades us as professionals. That sentiment is certainly understandable, as the presence of a background check is prima facie evidence that candidates are not being taken at their word.

The paradox, of course, is that only those whose word is not good get caught by a background check. I have been around long enough to know about cases where an impostor has gotten an academic job (easily avoided by the now almost-universal requirement for official transcripts sent directly to the employing institution) or where someone with a criminal record has been hired.

In today’s litigious atmosphere — and, more important, as part of our obligation to students, parents, and other constituencies — transcripts and background checks are a fair way to avoid potential hiring disasters.

However, there is another side of this issue. When an institution has a policy requiring background checks, that policy entails that whoever performs those checks be held to absolute standards of accuracy. A recent case discussed in The Chronicle’s Forums described a candidate’s experiences being offered a position contingent on a background check which later came back with negative information that led to the withdrawal of the offer. The information turned out to be wrong, and it fell to the candidate to correct the record, supplying numerous documents and affidavits certifying the candidate’s innocence. The offer was then reinstated only to be withdrawn again, apparently by the institution’s human-resources office. Why? Because the candidate had protested the negative finding.

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by Jason Morris

I will not go into a rant about inadequate background checks in our schools, I just won’t.  This story speaks for itself!  Our kids in public schools are being protected by an inadequate, antiquated background screening process.  Most States require a fingerprint check at the State level and a FBI check at the National level, only if the candidate has lived outside that State in the past five years.

They say they don’t have the money, schools are underfunded.  How many kids have to get assaulted before they realize metal detectors are not the only way to protect students.  A thorough criminal check must be done at the county level.

Since schools are the theme of this posting, administrators should read my series; Employment Screening 101.  Schools are just as liable as corporations.  Standing behind the budgetary excuses and doing the minimum required by state law does not stop 15 year old girls from getting sexually abused.  Administrators can start looking forward to negligent hiring lawsuits in the same way Corporate America does; If you could have known, you should have known!

Local drama teacher charged with sexual abuse had sexual assault allegation again him in past

(WHAS11) - We have new information about a Bardstown High School drama teacher arrested along with his wife last week.

Police say Kevin Holladay had an inappropriate relationship with a female student and his wife Marta Holladay was charged with assaulting that student.

Now, we’ve uncovered new information about Kevin Holladay’s past.

We found some information Kevin Holladay probably didn’t want Bardstown schools to know about and because of the way the district currently does background checks it remained his secret. Until we told his former boss about it on Wednesday.

The drama coach, who goes by the name “Campfire Kev”, had his own summer camp experience 11 years ago, one that could have landed him in prison for 20 years.

In July 1997, Kevin Holladay was charged with sexual assault against a child.

According to reports, Holladay was a counselor at a summer camp in Wisconsin, when he allegedly fondled a 13-year-old girl who fell asleep while watching a movie with him.

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by Jason Morris

I just saw this blog while doing some research.  I think the volunteers claim that the background checks are a violation of civil rights is ridiculous.  I didn’t take the time to comment on the posting but did read some interesting rhetoric and heated debate below the article.  “Its all fun and games till someone gets hurt”….my mom used to say this all the time!  The same people claiming that the background checks are unnecessary will be the same people complaining when something happens to a kid that a simple background check would have prevented!

by Jason Morris

By SHELTON GREEN
KVUE News

An employee of the Austin State School is now the focus of a state and local investigation after allegations arose Sunday that she sexually assaulted a resident of the state run facility.

The Austin State school houses three to four hundred residents with mental retardation.

A spokesperson for the state tells KVUE that Vester Saylee was hired in mid-March as an aide to the mentally retarded at the Austin State School.  She was 4-months away from completing her probationary period when the allegations arose.

The state won’t say if the alleged victim is male or female, but they did say that he or she was examined physically and psychologically the same day the allegations were made and on Monday they were reported as doing fine.

Apparently another State school staffer made the discovery and alerted the state and local police.

Cecelia Federov of the Department of Aging & Disability Services, the agency which oversees the state schools around the state says Saylee was put through an extensive background check which produced nothing.

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by Natalie Beck

You may remember that about two weeks ago, we blogged about this story. When perusing our local news affiliate’s website, I ran across this updated piece. I’m not sure which is scarier – this person working with special education students (as was her former position before she resigned) or working with small children at a day care center (her current position). Scratch that – both very frightening if the criminal records her former employer found in her past turn out to be legit. My question is – if these records do not belong to her, as she claims, why didn’t she officially refute the findings with her former employer instead of just giving up and resigning? Per the FCRA, she has the right to formally dispute the information found in her background check and is entitled to a correction in her report if it is discovered that the records really do not belong to her. Sounds a little fishy to me…

Click here to read “Teacher’s Aide Blames Criminal Background on Mistaken Identity”

by Jason Morris

Stories like this absolutely infuriate me. Its one thing to use the excuse that a background check was never done, its another to simply look the other way. We truly believe that there is a job out there for everyone. Ex-offenders have the right to work, its the American way, everyone needs to work! Convicted ex-felons have no place and no right to work with our kids! Its bad enough that the background checks typically done in the education field are substandard, its worse to ignore the results!

5 Investigates High School Security Guards

PHOENIX — A CBS 5 investigation found convicted felons in charge of keeping students safe.

Security guards at Valley high schools interact closely with students, but some have arrest records for crimes like auto theft, assault, shoplifting and lying to police.

One former security guard told 5 Investigates he witnessed guards taking bribes from students, fighting with students and stealing from the school.

He said all of those guards had criminal records.

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by Jason Morris

Here is a story from employeescreenIQ’s own backyard.  Though these allegations have yet to be confirmed, this story brings into question how efficient the school district’s background screening process really is.  If this person failed the background check, as this article states, how was she still placed in a position at the school?  The only reason I can think of is that the district may have run the background check after the employee had already started work making their continued employment contingent upon the results of the background check.  Running the background check after the person starts working for a company is certainly something employeescreenIQ would not suggest (especially when the position entails working with children) but, on the flip side, we do realize that sometimes a company’s immediate staffing needs outweigh any possible pitfalls.  Of course, this is just speculation at this point.  It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/15982631/detail.html?taf=nn5