Mandatory Background Checks for Volunteers

In Prince George County, Maryland, the school system will start a public relations campaign this Monday notifying parents about its background screening policy towards volunteers. The school system has been screening its volunteers since August.

Criminal background checks became mandatory for the school system after a volunteer football coach at Bowie High School, Aaron Burroughs, was arrested on July 31 for allegedly coercing a 15 year old girl at the school to work as a prostitute. The policy is retroactive, requiring all current volunteers to be checked if they want to continue. In addition, volunteers are responsible for paying for their own background check.

The school system has two types of background checks. A commercial check, costing $10, includes a criminal record search and will apply to volunteers working in the classroom or adults who are going on day and overnight field trips. The other, a criminal background check, costing $66, requires fingerprinting and will apply to volunteers who have uncontrolled access to students such as student teachers and mentors.

Prince George County is one of the few school districts in Maryland to mandate such checks, screening 834 volunteers between August and November. Some residents have raised concerns stating that they feel background checks might detour volunteers. However this has not proven to be the case. According to Mary Nusser, PTSO president at Bowie High School, “The thing is that most people who want to volunteer don’t mind the inconvenience. And this might make people think twice if they have nefarious thoughts.”

The Red Cross Orders Volunteer Screening

Months ago the National Red Cross ordered all volunteers and staff to submit an online background check. In Rhode Island alone, 750 of the 1,254 Red Cross volunteers have either ignored or refused the order. Volunteers in other states have also been stalling on the issue, regarding it as an invasion of privacy.

It would be nice to live in a world where background screening would not be necessary and where everyone could be trusted, at least those who volunteer for non-profit organizations. However, as the Red Cross discovered, many organizations can not afford to be that frivolous. During Hurricane Katrina money and relief supplies disappeared and against Red Cross policy, convicted felons were used as volunteers in the disaster area. Thereafter, the national push for a criminal background policy for Red Cross volunteers arose.

The minimum background check looks for conviction records, parole or probation for violent crimes, sex offenses, drugs and financial crimes going back 7 years. Through the Red Cross website, volunteers are asked for their Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers as well as other personal information to verify their identities. In addition, the Red Cross requires the volunteers to give consent to an investigative consumer report; a more in depth background check, which includes a credit check. This check is only completed on volunteers who handle money.

Disaster services manager, Nick Logothets worries that they will lose volunteers because of these new requirements. Meanwhile, the national Red Cross is currently talking with state chapters about the requirements and feels that over time the controversy will subside.

Sonoma County, CA, Grand Jury Inquires About Background Checks on School Employees and Volunteers

In recent news, the Sonoma County Grand Jury sent out a survey to all of its 40 school districts. The survey mainly focuses on the background screening policies regarding employees and volunteers and comes in the wake of 2 high-profile arrests of a former Petaluma substitute teacher and a volunteer, both of which ended up pleading guilty in November to molesting a middle-school female wrestler.

At this stage, Petaluma City Schools require all non-parent adult volunteers and teachers, including substitutes, to have fingerprints and criminal background checks. However, substitutes do not have to go through the same involved background check as permanent teachers. Parent volunteers do not have to go through any background screening process at all.

Thus, Carl Wong, superintendent of Sonoma County Schools, feels that this survey could bring about changes and opportunities regarding background checks on volunteers as well as require substitutes to be more closely monitored in the classroom.

A Great Example Provided by the Parks and Recreation Department in Columbus, Indiana

The Parks and Recreation Department in Columbus, Indiana, have clearly laid out a policy regarding employee and volunteer background checks. It is a great resource for companies, businesses and non-profit organizations to use when implementing their own polices.

The Parks and Recreation Department of Columbus clearly states the department’s goals and guidelines of protecting their employees, volunteers, and those they serve from potential harm. Noting they have a special concern for children and the desire of providing a safe recreational experience for them, the Department mandates background checks must be completed on all employees, volunteers and independent contractors.

In each background search the following information is obtained by the Parks and Recreation Department:

• Social Security verification
• Address Trace
• Statewide criminal check within Indiana
• Criminal record check in 38 states, as appropriate
• State Sex and Violent Offender registry

This comprehensive background screening package provides a great example of what an ideal background search on a volunteer should entail, especially when one is working with or who has contact with children. For the low cost of submitting these searches so much potential harm and danger will be avoided by the Columbus Parks and Recreation department as well as other organizations like it that have and follow such policies.

A Registered Sex Offender Hired as a Volunteer Firefighter

In Kenockee Township, MI, a registered sex offender has been working as a volunteer firefighter for the past five years. In December of 1992 the volunteer, Willard Hyslop, had pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted sexual assault. He has currently been suspended, but not let go of the position he held at the fire department. Hyslop is now working with a lawyer attempting to clear his record.

As a volunteer firefighter, Hyslop visited many elementary schools and drove in parades. However, Michigan law prohibits sex offenders from being near and or around schools and many residents of the Township are now upset about the whole situation. One concerned resident feels that background checks should “absolutely” be done and was shocked to learn that Hyslop was hired in the first place.

Kenockee Township Fire Chief, Tom Skelton, reports that the fire department has now begun checking firefighter and firefighter candidates’ backgrounds. Previously, they had checked driving records, but have now expanded their background screening process to include felony conviction searches as well.

As this story shows, performing criminal background screening on volunteers has proven to be a necessary step for organizations. Many background screening vendors provide these simple searches for affordable prices and are accessible online.

New Blog for Volunteer Screening.org

We're very excited to announce the release of our new blog! Please bookmark this blog (ctrl + d) and check back often as we keep you up to date on recent news and changes in the Volunteer and Nonprofit Industries.