Newly Elected School Board Member Calls Background Check Requirement a "Conflict of Interest"

When an applicant, employee, or even a newly elected official refuses to submit to a background check, most would assume that they have something to hide. That may or may not be the case with a recently elected school board member in the Atlanta, Georgia area, though. That's because the official in question has not issued a blanket refusal or protest of all background checks, but rather of ones that he believes to be a "conflict of interest" given the people who would be running them.

High School Grounds Worker Assault Case Proves that Threats are Still Finding a Way onto Campus

One of the biggest trends in the background check industry over the past few years has been a campaign to make schools safer and more secure. In the wake of school shootings such as the December 2012 Sandy Hook tragedy, school administrators throughout the country went back to the drawing board. Their solutions and protections have been multifaceted, from locking doors to hiring security guards. Schools throughout the nation have also doubled down on background checks since 2012, implementing new screening systems for everyone from coaches to bus drivers to school visitors.

Virginia Legislators Consider Background Check Overhauls for Public and Private Colleges

Based on Virginia state laws, all college in the state, be they public or private institutions, are required to pass on a list to the Virginia State Police of all the students they admit in any given year. The State Police Department then essentially runs background checks on the new students, cross checking names on each list against Virginia state criminal records and sex offender registries.