State law in Iowa does not require teacher’s aides to undergo background checks before or after employment, even though they have direct contact with minors. Most school districts still have their teacher’s aides go through some sort of screening process anyway, though it generally isn’t as thorough as the background checks that teachers, administrators, and coaches go through. In 2002, federal law was changed so that all teachers were required to undergo criminal background checks, and in 2007, Iowa law made it so that any teacher licensed by the state had to have a federal and state background check to comply with the federal law. The background checks required for teachers are quite comprehensive. The school districts do a nationwide criminal background check and they take fingerprints to run through the FBI database. However, these checks are not provided for aides, which still leaves children open to potentially hostile and dangerous people.

Many parents in Iowa are concerned about the lack of policy for teacher’s aides, especially because an aide was fired last week when it was discovered that she was involved with the torture and murder of a young girl. Paula Baniszewski, the woman who was fired, spent time in prison for her contribution to the murder of a young girl in 1965. She was employed under a false last name and wasn’t given a background check upon being hired by the school district. The reason teacher’s aides aren’t required to have background checks is because they are not licensed, and the laws only cover people who are licensed by the state.

One mother, who has three children in the school district, says that the laws should be more severe since it deals with people who have contact with children. She says it would be terrifying to look at the background of some people who are hired by the state’s school districts if someone like Bansiszewski can be hired so easily. Ken Trump, a member of the National School Safety and Security Services, says that federal background checks for all school workers could take extra time and money and could delay the hiring process. However, districts that don’t do background checks also risk losing their credibility. Recently, Iowa lawmakers discussed a bill that would make federal background checks for all school district employees mandatory, but the bill that passed only required bus drivers to now undergo criminal background checks. For all other employees, it’s up to the school leaders to make decisions about who needs comprehensive background checks prior to employment.

Companies like backgroundchecks.com provide comprehensive background searches that employ a nationwide criminal database. The service used to search the database is called US OneSearch and it uses information from 49 different states as well as Washington DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Other useful services include US AliasSearch, which uses the same comprehensive nationwide criminal database as US OneSearch, but also searches for known aliases and maiden names. It uses a SSN and date of birth to access this information. Employers can also take advantage of the ongoing criminal monitoring tool, which allows employers to be constantly updated on their employee’s criminal history. If the employee commits a criminal act while employed, the employer will receive an email notification about the new information on their background history. This service can be renewed yearly to update the number of employees. Names can also be taken off the list at the time of renewal as well.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) and cofounder of the Expungement Clearinghouse - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source: http://www2.wnct.com/news/2012/oct/30/report-no-background-check-for-iowa-teacher-aides-ar-2739128/

Author: Michael Klazema

The Duval County school board in Florida is reviewing its hiring procedures due to two separate incidents of school district teachers arrested for molesting students. Last year, Southside Middle School teacher Robert Luke was charged with sexual battery of a 15-year-old student. More recently, Christopher Bacca, a teacher at Windy Hill Elementary School was arrested for the sexual molestation of a student under 12. Bacca is currently facing several charges of molestation, while Luke has yet to be sentenced for his charges. Both teachers initially passed background checks with the school district, even though they each had been investigated previously due to allegations of misconduct with children without being charged.

The human resources director of Duval school district, Sonita Young, had several recommendations for changing hiring practices within the district. Those included better inter-agency communications, review of training requirements, and actions to strengthen the background check process. School board member Becki Couch agrees that there should be “very tight policies in place” for district employees, and that they are the same “throughout the district.” Although school board members are unsure what the impact of the new rules will be, the hope is that the tighter regulations will do more to protect children within the district.

Parents of students from Windy Hill Elementary are wondering why the school allowed Bacca to teach there, after the first investigation into his alleged misconduct. Parent Eliza Morales is concerned because her sons went to a camp program Bacca was leading. Officials from the school said they are reviewing how the Sheriff’s Office and Department of Children and Families communicate with the district. They will also review policies with the contractor that provides substitute teachers to the school district. The school board is also considering taking teachers out of the classroom for misconduct, even if they are not charged with a crime. Morales is glad school officials are taking steps to address the problems. She said, “As parents, we have to do our own background checks,” and the “incident [has opened her] eyes.”

When it comes to the safety of students, every precaution should be taken to assure their best interests are being met. Nothing less than the highest standards of screening should be expected. If your business employs individuals that have access to children, you need to make performing comprehensive background checks a part of your routine hiring policy. By using a reputable company like backgroundchecks.com, you can be assured you are getting the best and most thorough background check screening techniques available. With access to countless criminal databases nationwide they have many options available, several with instant results. Their US OneSEARCH gives you instant information from more than 430 million criminal records from counties, Department of Corrections (DOC), Administration of Courts (AOC) and State Sex Offender Registries covering 49 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam. Also included are national and international terrorism sources, more than 11 million photos, and their proprietary database of previously completed reports. Or try their Ongoing Criminal Monitoring tool, which allows you to automatically run a continuous background check against a name and date of birth. You will be notified via email of any new information that may appear on their record. They will run the name for one year and remind you when it is time to renew the monitoring, plus you can remove the name from being monitored at any time.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) and cofounder of the Expungement Clearinghouse - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source: http://www.news4jax.com/news/Duval-schools-rethinking-teacher-background-checks/-/475880/16206206/-/cy7jfaz/-/index.html

A recently passed policy at Pennsylvania State University now requires all new hires and contract employees to complete a criminal background check before they receive final approval to report to work. This new policy, known as the “Background Check Process”, combines three previous Penn State policies into a more encompassing procedure that also is in compliance with the recent background check guidelines from the EEOC. According to associate vice president for Human Resources, Susan Basso, the new policy will create a safer environment at the University, and will assist in making better hiring decisions while minimizing risk.

The policy puts in place a more straight-forward process to make sure a candidate’s criminal history and records regarding potential child abuse are reviewed. The background checks will only be used for evaluating a candidate’s eligibility for working with the University. Also, current employees in “sensitive/critical” positions are required to undergo a background check if one has not been completed. Under the policy, sensitive and critical positions are defined as those responsible for protected data, such as auditors, tech staff, and payroll; positions with access to all facilities on the campus; and those responsible for hazardous materials or controlled substances. The updated policy covers volunteer and third-party employees, which the previous policies did not. Based on the nature of the job, other verifications besides a background check may be required also. These could include checking educational credentials, driving records, and employment history. For those in positions with access to the University’s financial resources, checks of credit histories will also be implemented.

A record of criminal conviction will not automatically result in disqualification for the individual, but the type of offense in relation to the job and how serious the offense was will be considered by the University. If a background check turns up a disqualifying offense, then the candidate will receive notification and have an opportunity to give additional information in order to resolve the issue. The University also has the right to conduct background checks on current employees if there are reasonable grounds for doing so. This includes if a check was never performed, if there is an incident on the job, or if a new or current position requires a background check. Although background check records will be part of employees’ personnel files, they will be kept separately from the employees’ regular personnel files in order to maintain confidentiality.

Are you performing background checks as part of the hiring process for your business? And what about ongoing checks for those already employed? If you’re not using a company like backgroundchecks.com, you could be making a big mistake. Their access to countless criminal databases nationwide will provide you with many options, several with instant results. Their US OneSEARCH gives you instant information from more than 430 million criminal records from counties, Department of Corrections (DOC), Administration of Courts (AOC) and State Sex Offender Registries covering 49 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam. Also included are national and international terrorism sources, more than 11 million photos, and their proprietary database of previously completed reports. Or try their Ongoing Criminal Monitoring tool, which allows you to automatically run a continuous background check against a name and date of birth. They will run the name for one year and remind you when it is time to renew the monitoring, plus you can remove the name from being monitored at any time.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source: http://gantdaily.com/2012/07/06/penn-state-introduces-new-background-check-for-final-job-approval/

In 2008 a camera belonging to third-grade teacher Eric Justin Toth was found to contain explicit pictures of a child who attended Washington D.C.’s exclusive Beauvoir elementary school. Toth taught at the school since 2005, which caters to children of government employees, lawyers and entrepreneurs. When school head Paula Carreiro discovered what was on the camera, she promptly fired Toth and ordered him off of school grounds. Shortly after an investigation started, it was discovered that Toth had also installed a hidden camera in his third-grade classroom bathroom and used it to record students. Ever since his firing Toth has been on the run, and is now on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list.

A well-liked and respected teacher, Toth came to Beauvoir school with recommendations, and a background check showed no known criminal history. However, Beauvoir was unaware of Toth’s past. The FBI has since found that parents were concerned Toth had become too close to their children while he was volunteering at an elementary school in Indiana between 2001 and 2002. And evidence was also found that from 2004 through 2006 Toth may have made child pornography while working at a summer camp in Wisconsin.

Although he was known for his teaching skills at Beauvoir school, some parents now question odd behavior he often displayed. He selected certain students which he heaped attention on, would tutor and babysit students – at times for free – and sometimes spent the night in his classroom closet. Parents also remember he would spend hours tutoring male students, while virtually ignoring the girls. However, his quirky behavior wasn’t questioned due to his intelligence and dedication to students.

Right before Toth was found out in June 2008, he was applying to move to Potomac School, another private school in the D.C. area. When school officials called Beauvoir to obtain a reference, they found out about the investigation and chose not to hire him. Since Toth has been on the run, he’s been spotted in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and was volunteering at a homeless shelter in Phoenix under an assumed name when he was featured on “America’s Most Wanted”. Someone recognized him and called police, but Toth disappeared before officers arrived. According to the FBI, he is most likely living with another identity, and may be working as a tutor or nanny.

How much do you really know about your potential or current employees? If you’re not using background checks, you could be missing out on vital information you need to know. By using a company like backgroundchecks.com, you’ll be able to make an informed decision. backgroundchecks.com has access to countless criminal databases nationwide, and provides several options for instant results. Their popular US OneSEARCH provides information from more than 355 million criminal records from counties, Department of Corrections (DOC), Administration of Courts (AOC) and State Sex Offender Registries covering 49 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam. Also included are national and international terrorism sources, more than 4.1 million photos, and their proprietary database of previously completed reports. Or try their Ongoing Criminal Monitoring tool, which allows you to automatically run a continuous background check against a name and date of birth, and they will notify you via email of any new information that may appear on the record. They will run the name for one year and remind you when it is time to renew the monitoring, and you can remove the name from being monitored at any time.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/former-dc-teacher-makes-fbi-most-wanted-list-after-2008-child-porn-discovery/2012/05/16/gIQAPJJHUU_story.html

When you entrust your child into the hands of educators, you probably assume those employees are upstanding citizens without criminal histories.  If your child goes to school in Kansas though, you could be wrong.  Although high standards for education and background checking has been initiated for teachers in most states these days as a result of No Child Left Behind, teachers who were already in the education industry were grandfathered into the system with the earlier, less strict requirements.  That means they have not undergone any kind of background investigation to make sure they haven’t committed any crimes, including crimes against children. 

The Topeka Capital Journal reports that approximately 40,000 teachers in Kansas have not been checked.  Due to increasing sex abuse crimes in schools, parents and state education board members are concerned about this number. The Director of Teacher Education and Licensure is pushing for the fingerprinting of all teachers.  Additionally, she would like to see teachers getting background checks every time their teaching license is renewed, which is every five years.  Some are unhappy about the proposal, claiming it to be an invasion of privacy, but because it deals with the safety of children, it’s likely to pass.

While fingerprinting might be a good first step, it doesn’t necessarily catch potential all threats.  Most people are fingerprinted when they are arrested, and the FBI database then relies on the court to provide updates as the case moves forward. But those updates are not guaranteed, and neither is the timing of those updates leaving questions about conviction or dismissal status.  Organizations like schools, that have such important jobs, should make sure they’re using criminal databases that are extensive and constantly updated and can automatically be monitored for updates. After all, if catching criminals before they affect children in schools is really a priority, why wait to check backgrounds every five years, when Ongoing Criminal Monitoring can be performed by background check companies who could then alert them immediately of any criminal activity among their teachers?

backgroundchecks.com has access to  more than 355 million records across 600 criminal conviction sources, including sex offender registries.  We also employ a skilled data acquisition team that keeps our records up to date to ensure the highest accuracy possible.   With experience and resources like this, backgroundchecks.com could help schools keep an eye on their teachers, which could alleviate the fears of parents and State Education Board members.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services.  Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source:  http://cjonline.com/news/2011-04-13/criminal-teachers-focus-initiative

New background check procedures in Glastonbury, CT have some a bit upset about the potential of a backlog. A new policy has been introduced that will require new teachers to go through a full criminal background check. This check not only would require fingerprinting and a criminal background check, it would also include a check of records from the Department of Children and Families child abuse and neglect registry.

Though this would be an excellent way to get a more comprehensive understanding of someone’s criminal background, some are worried that especially the national check has the potential to delay hiring for months as they have experienced back logs with that check in the past.

Source: http://www.courant.com/community/glastonbury/hc-glastonbury-new-policies-0313-20120312,0,3598443.story

The state of Illinois has a mandate that all teachers in all schools go through a criminal background check before being able to work in the state. For some, however, the background checks that are currently being done are simply not enough. An incident in late December, where a school custodian, Kenneth Brown, exposed himself to a female teacher, caused this call for change. Though no students were present at the time, the fact that it happened at all is alarming to many school officials and parents.

Officially, Illinois state law focuses only on those school employees who were hired after 2004. Those hired before that time were never required to go through a background check. Since Brown has been employed at the school since 2000, his background, which is littered with petty crimes like theft, was never put through a full criminal background check. Employees who go through the full background check are subject to fingerprinting and are made ineligible for employment should there be any crimes like drug offenses or felonies. Theft, like the crime committed by Brown, is also included, however he was grandfathered in and fell through a loophole.

Another concern from parents and district leaders is the fact that Naperville school employees are only required to go through a background check when they are hired, not after that. Technically there could be teachers or other employees who are working at Naperville schools who have a criminal background, but the crime was not committed until after they were hired. There are many instances where a person could be accused of a crime and the workplace would never know unless someone stumbled upon public records.

Suggestions to change this are being tossed around and one of them is that a random background check be done on ten percent of all employees each year.  Another suggestion is to use a third party background check company like backgroundchecks.com which offers several products that would help the school district keep tabs on any crimes committed by their employees. One of these products is known as Ongoing Criminal Monitoring and would allow the schools to be notified when any of their employees has a new crime record appear in the national database. There is also the option, of course, to rescreen all employees every few years as a way to ensure that children are able to attend a school where they will be safe from bad situations.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services.  Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Click here to find out about our authors.

Source: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120220/news/702209725/

The state of Pennsylvania have been sued by four teachers who are fighting to save their jobs after new laws have been put in place to protect children. Under a new Pennsylvania state law, all school employees, including teachers, administrators, contractors and support staff, must report certain arrests or convictions within three days. The crimes that must be reported include physical assault, sexual assault, homicides and kidnapping. In total, there are 28 crimes that must be reported to authorities.

Four separate lawsuits have been filed against the state due to this new law as the interpretation of the law seems to be causing problems.  The language of the law states that anyone who is convicted of one of these 28 crimes would be terminated from their job immediately. However, it seems to imply that this is only for future employees, not those who are already employed by Pennsylvania schools. It is important to note that those who are filing lawsuits are those who have been convicted of one of these 28 crimes and are at risk of termination due to this new law. If they lose the lawsuits, they will lose their jobs as teachers.

The teachers will be fighting that the law is unconstitutional and that the results of these background checks should not apply to current employees. They state that it violates the due-process rights of the employees and they should not have to suffer further for these crimes as they have already paid their dues to society for the crimes that they have committed. This will be a hard sell in court, however, since many schools have programs where criminal monitoring is done continuously and most companies in the US have similar policies as Pennsylvania schools have. In general, most people believe that this is the right thing to do in order to keep school children safe while in a learning environment.

When it comes to the companies who do these background checks, many of them, like backgroundchecks.com, offer some excellent products that allow companies to make sure they are hiring and retaining employees who have a clean criminal background. There are even products like Ongoing Criminal Monitoring that will be used as an add-on to their other products. When used in conjunction with their other products, criminal monitoring can be used to continuously scan a person’s name and report when new crimes appear on their records. Using these tools can help keep children safe and well while they go through their school day.

About backgroundchecks.com

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services.  Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source: http://www.vindy.com/news/2012/feb/20/lawsuits-challenge-new-rules-for-school-/

The day has arrived where New Jersey Board of Education members must step down if they have not gone through a background check. A law was passed in 2011 that states all members of schools boards in the state must undergo a background check before serving. Out of the over 5000 members of school boards in the state, 184 of them did not get their background checks done and they have been asked to resign. If they do not resign, they will be removed from their positions.

The background checks that the members had to go through are identical to those teachers and volunteers must go through in order to work with children in the state. Many school boards nationwide have enacted similar policies, but New Jersey is the first state to do this for all of their schools.

Getting background checks done on anyone who works with children is an excellent idea and companies like backgroundchecks.com make it easy for employers to get the information they need on present and future employees. They offer products like Single State OneSEARCH that will instantly give employers all the information they need on a potential employee, for instance, from several state reporting agencies.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services.  Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/nj_orders_200_school_board_mem.html

Since the Penn State coach scandal, there has been a rush nationwide to reform and re-evaluate the way schools are conducting background checks on all of their employees. The truth is, some schools and schools districts just do not do complete background checks on those who are employed with them including teachers, administrators, support staff and of course, coaches. Those school districts that do run background checks on their employees do not run a complete national criminal background check, or only do local state checks. This is likely not enough to get a complete understanding of someone’s criminal background.

It is extremely important for parents to know that their children are safe at school and that the people who are overseeing them have been properly screened to ensure they do not have any serious criminal felonies in their backgrounds including assault, sexual crimes, or any other crimes that would disqualify a person from working with or supervising children. Limiting a search to the school’s state may not be enough to show school official and parents the full picture when it comes to employees of the school district in question.

Opponents of these re-evaluated background check policies say that it is important to note that even if a school employee goes through and passes a police criminal background check, this does not mean they have a clean record or that they are necessarily a good person. Proponents of the new policies on background checks state that this is true, but the odds of a person committing a crime against children with no criminal background are lower.

The question will always be asked if a background check could have prevented harm to a child any time one of these crimes are committed. Hiring companies like backgroundchecks.com can make it easier for school officials to run extensive background checks on their employees and take the steps needed to protect children in their schools from criminals. Products like Ongoing Criminal Monitoring can even  let school officials know if current employees are involved in new criminal activity during their tenure at the school after they pass their first pre-employment background check.

 About backgroundchecks.com

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services.  Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source - http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2011/12/wellesley_school_committee_pro.html