An opinion in the Colorado Springs Gazette  brings about some very important issues involving the lack of reporting and punishment of teacher sex offenders. Only recently have states been addressing harsher requirements for teacher background checks as well as other school employees and volunteers…and the issue has yet to be addressed with any seriousness by the federal government.

The article focuses on two primary issues: schools have failed in the past to report sexual misconduct to authorities in order to avoid bad publicity or ruining the teacher’s career, and those who are prosecuted are receiving menial punishment or sometimes no prison time at all.

I read stories about the sex abuse of children nearly every day and every parent should feel a deep sense of fear that their children could be in the presence of a sex offender more hours in the day than they are at home. Child sex abuse is a common problem in America and around the world. Parents and school administrators should take action on this issue as it is more imperative, in my opinion, than the economy, the presidential election, or any other issue facing America today.

All states should require the following school policies:

1. Background checks that include national criminal, county criminal and nationwide sex offender searches.

2. Thorough employment reference checks from all previous schools where the teacher worked.

3. State licensure and education verifications.

4. Mandatory reporting to authorities of all sex offenses and sexual misconduct.

Forcing schools to report sex offenses to authorities will help in providing accurate background checks and keep predators from working with children. It is equally important for school administrators, school boards, and parents to understand that exclusive use of statewide background checks or fingerprinting is not enough to protect children (read more here about criminal databases). Sex offenders oftentimes move out of the state in which they were prosecuted or suspended from employment and attempt to work in other states. Many school districts only check their statewide criminal databases when conducting background checks, which would not detect a predator that committed a crime in another state.

For more information on how your school district can obtain thorough and affordable background checks, please visit  www.pre-employ.com or call 800-300-1821 to speak with a sales representative.

*We welcome relevant comments and questions from consumers, experts, and human resources professionals. Please do not submit comments with advertisements as they will not be posted publicly. Thanks for visiting our blog!

The ABC News report yesterday raises concern about the widespread use of criminal databases for background checks on job applicants. Numerous employers are being sued over hiring decisions based on inaccurate criminal records found in database searches.

Employers who are using criminal databases in place of county criminal records could be hiring a criminal without knowing it or rejecting employment to a talented candidate who truly doesn’t have a criminal record but a faulty background check indicated a crime. Either case could cripple a business with bad publicity and lawsuits.

Many employers use state or public criminal databases because they are less expensive than comprehensive background checks that include county criminal record searches. However, county criminal searches provide the most accurate and up to date information. These records are hand-pulled from court houses in the areas where the applicant lived, which is determined by a Social Security trace. County criminal record searches are considered best practices and ensure due diligence and FCRA compliance.

An article published by BRB Publications stresses that statewide criminal record repositories (databases) are used widely by many employers and licensing boards and that “this can be a dangerous practice.” Criminal record repositories have inconsistent updating times, low levels of quality control, backlogging of records, and lack of timeliness in receiving arrest and disposition data.

In the cases of the ABC News report, the use of mass produced compilations of criminal records is even more dangerous. A person with no criminal history who has the same name of another person with a criminal record could be denied employment. A decision such as this could not only detrimentally affect a business, but also a person’s life.

Employers have an obligation to take every step necessary to ensure they are using best practices when conducting background checks…both for the safety of the workplace and integrity in hiring policies. Employers are encouraged to outsource background check services to firms that do not compile or sell consumer data nor advocate the exclusive use of database searches for background checks.

Pre-employ.com and MyBackgroundCheck.com have always recommended against criminal database searches unless criminal hits are backed up by county criminal records. Both companies also provide a dispute resolution process for applicants who find inaccurate information on their background checks. Please visit the websites for informative resources and articles for consumers and employers about background checks and other important workplace issues.

*We welcome relevant comments and questions from consumers, experts, and human resources professionals. Please do not submit comments with advertisements as they will not be posted publicly. Thanks for visiting our blog!