'Operation Santa Claus' Shut Down Due to Sex Offender

Operation Santa Claus, a program initiated and offered by the United States Postal Service, was shut down for three full days and was just reopened with new rules.

The program was set up to assist needy children at Christmas time. Children would write letters to Santa and citizens could pick up letters at a local post office, buying gifts on the wish lists and delivering them in person to the children and their families.

Unfortunately in Maryland, a volunteer who picked up one of the letters was recognized as being a registered sex offender. Carl Ranger pled guilty to one of 18 counts of child abuse in December, 2000. The USPS intervened; it intercepted the letter before the man could answer it and shut down the program for three days while it made changes to the program.

When the program restarted, the child's family name had been blacked out as well as the family's address. Now, instead of the volunteers delivering the gifts themselves, they wrap the gifts, fill out forms and give them to the post office to be delivered.

Next year, volunteers will pick the gifts and pay the postage, but a computer will match the letters with the addresses and the post office will continue to deliver the presents. The USPS believes these changes will still allow for the spirit of giving at Christmastime, and also help keep the children safe.

Another Sex Offender Caught Volunteering with Children's Sports Program

Esmond Frazier, a registered sex offender, was caught on video volunteering at the Pine Forest Athletic Association park in Jacksonville, Florida at a youth football game.

Frazier possesses a criminal record of sex crimes in 2006 and lewd assault on a child in 2005. He admitted to having sex numerous times with a youth under the age of 15. At the time, he was an assistant volleyball coach and after-school tutor at Lee High School.

Frazier was placed on probation for 3 years and is required to register as a sex offender; however, during his probationary period, he was back on the field, volunteering at football games for youth.

The president of the youth football conference stated that they perform background checks on all volunteers supervising children. Because Frazier's volunteer position did not require the supervision of children, but rather holding chains, the school did not require a background check on him.

Regardless of the fact that Frazier was not supervising children directly, he was still in close contact with them and very soon after he was placed on probation. While the youth football conference did not state the reason for not running background checks on all of its employees, one hopes that this incident will lead to that result.

Hospice Volunteer Refuses to Submit to Background Check

A man in Middlesex, Connecticut will most likely lose his position as a volunteer at a local hospice because he refuses to submit to a background check. Donald McGinnis has been volunteering at the hospice every Christmas for 18 years.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid have implemented a new law requiring background checks for all volunteers. The law does not make allowances or exceptions for those people who have been volunteering longer than others.

McGinnis believes that the law has "crossed the line" and he should not be checked because he has nothing to hide & was in the military for six years.

Because the hospice relies completely on funding from the government, it has no choice but to comply with the law. Maura McQueeney, executive director of home care for the hospice was quoted as saying, “Unfortunately, the federal government doesn’t look at our employees that way,” she said. “They look at our program and for 100 percent compliance. So we would love to be able to plead his case for them, it’s hard wired now. It’s a federal regulation, and there is some merit to it, that we’re seeing patients at their most vulnerable and they’re allowing us to care for them.”

In my opinion, it's sad that someone who has done so much good for so long won't look at the bigger picture and the long-term benefit of background checks. If McGinnis truly has nothing to hide than what's the worry? He may know that nothing will come back, but can he say the same for all of the volunteers he has worked with (or will work with)?