Volunteer Screening Blog

Mentor City, Ohio Requiring Mandatory Volunteer Background Checks

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:12:00 +0000

The Northern Ohio News Herald reported that the Mentor City Council President, Robert Shiner, is making a power play to make background checks mandatory for city volunteers who typically staff about 50 committee and commission posts.

Shiner is pushing for the following amendment to be applied to an existing code governing the city volunteer hiring practice:

“Commission and Board members and all other persons seeking (re)appointment to an expiring or vacant term ... must submit with a resume a completed City-supplied Application for Commission/Board Appointment/Reappointment form and an executed City-supplied consent form for a criminal and civil background check."

Translation: If you want to volunteer for this city, you’ll need a background check.

Some council members predictably see the checks as a violation of individual privacy. As many of the volunteer positions are unpaid, there is fear that it could deter potential applicants.

Personally, I think not being asked to undergo a background check for a city position (even if it’s just an unpaid volunteer slot) would be fairly questionable.

The article does not state the specific duties of the volunteer positions, such as if the positions allow the volunteer access to personal files, voting information, city finances etc…

There is obviously a need for background checks given that the head of the city council thinks it would be a good idea to have them in place. Forgoing them could lead to hiring someone who is unqualified to be performing work for the city, even if on a volunteer basis.

I was once asked why I was bringing a jacket on a day trip to the notoriously foggy city of San Francisco when it was obvious it was going to be nice all day and into the night.

My reply was “It’s better to have something and not need it, than need and not have.”

In its final deliberations on the proposed code amendment, the Mentor City Council should have it’s mindset geared the same way.

A Hot Time in Tunica

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:29:00 +0000

The community in Tunica, Mississippi can breathe a little easier after a volunteer firefighter was arrested in connection with two blazes lit in vacant structures. Adam Paul Carriere was serving as a probationary firefighter assigned to the West Feliciana Parish Fire District prior to his booking on four combined counts of arson and trespassing.

Having joined the district’s fire department just three days prior to setting the blazes, an initial background check did not reveal any disqualifying incidents or existing conditions. However, a more comprehensive screening of Carriere’s past was still in process at the time he was running around lighting unoccupied buildings on fire.

A preliminary investigation quickly narrowed it down to Adam Carriere as a prime suspect. Working alongside the Fire Marshall’s office, the district acted quickly resulting in the arrest. Carriere was said to have surrendered without incident and cooperated with investigators during the interrogation.

In a news release, State Fire Marshall Butch Browning stated, “It is taken very seriously when a firefighter crosses the line and does something like this. We will not tolerate such actions.” Indeed, the irony of an arsonist working as a firefighter is nauseating.

With regards to future applicants, the Fire District may want to consider waiting for all background checks to clear before allowing an individual to participate in active duty. Considering that firefighters are essentially some of the last true heroes in society, it’s upsetting when one of them perpetrates the very calamity they are supposed to be preventing. No one wants to see a firebug like Carriere or some other unbalanced individual marring the reputation of an otherwise respected and heroic public institution.

Oklahoma Schools Lacking in Background Check Policy

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:26:00 +0000

What do the 532 school districts in the State of Oklahoma all have in common? They all share the lack of a standardized background check policy for substitute teachers. In a recent news report, the “Oklahoman” offered a look at how this disorganized background check standard has begun to result in the wrong people leading the class for the day.

State certification starts with teachers and other members of permanent faculty. However, noncertified substitutes, volunteers and other individuals aren’t necessarily required to submit to a background screening. Wait, really?

Yes, really. It turns out that each individual district typically assesses its own needs and adopts a background screening procedure for substitute personnel. Some schools go directly to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), which conducts a thorough, fingerprint-based background screening. Other school districts may go through the State Board of Education, which in turn will conduct a background check through the OSBI.

However, as one gets further away from Tulsa and Oklahoma City, districts may begin relying more on private background screening agencies or even conduct the search on their own. Theoretically, a district could even rely on Google to do its background checks if they felt it was in line with existing needs and policies, which would definitely leave them open to bad hiring decisions based on misinformation.

This melting pot of policies may provide each district in saying what’s best for them, but it can also generate loopholes and opportunities for all the wrong people. One district’s background screening process might deter creeps from applying, but the district next door might have an entirely policy in place that could effectively be an open door to criminals.

Duncan County has already had to hurriedly adjust its background screening policy. The school now requires national criminal checks after Erwin Johnson, a 24-year old substitute teacher, was tagged with felony charges for lewd proposals to a child after sending all the wrong text messages to a 16-year old student.

Because of the incident, the Duncan District adopted a new nationwide criminal search to supplement the statewide search already in place. A national search would have caught Johnson’s 2008 2nd degree Theft conviction and raised red flags for the hiring manager screening substitute teacher candidates.

Sherry Labyer, public school superintendant in Duncan, said “We don’t knowingly employ anyone who has been convicted of a felony.” Unfortunately, NOT knowing in this situation shows itself to have equally disastrous results.

There is one consensus shared by the district: There is a problem, but as for fixing it, they’re still working on that.

Jeff Mills is the executive director of the Oklahoma State School Board of Administration and says “It’s an issue. It is a situation and I don’t know what the immediate solution is considering the budget constraints.” Mills thinks an administrative database that is directly accessible by the districts could be one viable solution.

In the meantime, the state’s 532 districts continue to get along as best they can with what they have in place. Budget constraints, understaffed districts needing substitutes to man the classrooms, and scant solutions to a big problem all contribute to the lack of a defined background check policy keeping students safe and the criminals at bay.

Boulder Schools Beef Up Background Checks

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:27:00 +0000

Giving thought to performing volunteer work for your local school district? Well, if you happen to live in Colorado and you’re considering putting in some volunteer time with the Boulder Valley School District, be ready to for a background screening. Channel 9 News in Colorado reports that the school district is revamping its hiring process to keep with the times.

With almost 2,000 people volunteering their time to work in one of the district’s 55 schools, officials have made the decision to reinforce existing volunteer hiring policies with mandatory background checks.

Becky McClure, who functions as Assistant Superintendant of Human Resources, thinks there should be no difference between full time staff and the districts pool of volunteer workers: “With volunteers they are working with our children just like our employees are, so we want to be consistent.”

So far the background checks haven’t turned up anything too bad, but according to McClure, “Some were on probation that we were needing to disallow them for. It depends on the type of offense the individual had. Certainly a child abuse offense, a domestic violence offense would be a certain cause for concern.”

Although similar policies have been in effect in other districts, the difference is that the volunteers in other school districts must pay for the cost of the background check out of their own pocket. However, Boulder Valley has set aside $25,000 of its annual budget to cover the cost of the checks for all prospective volunteers as well as full time district employees. McClure hasn’t considering passing the cost along just yet but “We would consider possibly…but it would just depend on what the cost would be.”

Hats off to the Boulder Valley School District for its sound decision! Obviously employment status has no impact on the importance of a background check, something that the district has acknowledged through its new policy implementation. Some may consider $25,000 a bit steep, but the monetary cost pales in comparison to no check at all resulting in a dangerous predator working with children.

Pizza Party Peep Show

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:02:00 +0000

Maine’s "Seacoastonline.com" news source reported that a volunteer flag football coach for the Exeter Parks and Recreation Department has gotten the boot for displaying a pornographic image on his cell phone to a group of 12 year olds.

Christopher Miller may have thought he was being one cool grown up during an end of year pizza party when he showed the youth in his charge a cell phone photo described as “inappropriate” by Police Chief Richard Kane. But instead of “cool”, Miller came off as a “creep” leading to several kids informing their parents who, in turn, contacted the Parks and Recreation Department.

The Exeter Police Department was subsequently notified which led to Mr. Miller’s arrest. He was charged with a class B misdemeanor and fined $1,200. Although the sentence doesn’t carry jail time, it does ensure he won’t be doing any volunteer work with young kids anytime soon.

Police Captain Chris Fenerty applauded the quick action of the Parks and Recreation Department saying that “They did a real nice job. As soon as they found out, they immediately notified us.”

Mike Favereau, who serves as the Parks and Recreation Director, said “I’ve been in the business for more than 30 years and I’ve never had something like this happen. You pick up the paper and hear about it happening in other communities. You just never know.”

The Exeter Parks and Recreation Department has a policy of conducting a nationwide background check on volunteer coaches and performs annual checks from the point after which they sign on with the department. Although Miller had no prior record, the incident has been enough for the Parks and Recreation Department to look for ways to bolster its existing screening process for volunteer coaches.

In wake of the incident, a coaches meeting was conducted for a discussion on responsibilities coaches have when interacting with kids. There are also plans now to involve the police department in the coaches training program. The department is also considering altering the policies which allow coaches to hold celebrations and events that are not town sanctioned.

Fortunately, this situation was caught right where it needed to be. The Exeter Parks and Recreation Department seems to already be taking the necessary steps to make certain another impromptu (and wholly inappropriate) pizza party peep show never occurs again.

School Volunteer Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Assault

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:08:00 +0000

In Newark, New Jersey, Glenn Harp was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 7-year old girl in the elementary school where she attended and at his apartment.

The assaults took place between September 2007 and January 2008. They were uncovered when the little girl reported them to her grandmother.

During the course of the investigation, authorities learned that Harp had a prior offense and a proper background check was not conducted before placing him in the elementary school's after-school program. His prior offense was "Endanger Welfare of a Child" which he was found guilty of in 2000.

Harp will serve 15 years in prison and is required to serve 85% of his term before coming eligible for parole. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and will serve parole for the rest of his life. The family of the victim intends to sue Grove Street Elementary and the community group which runs the after-school program.

An inexpensive, quick background could have been done by this school and therefore would have saved this child from the harm that befell her. The prosecutor in the case was quoted as saying, "This case represents a stark reminder to organizations who hire volunteers to supervise children that the proper screening of candidates should always be done."

Conduct Your Own Background Check

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:46:00 +0000

Did you know you can obtain your own background check to provide to volunteer organizations you'd like to do work for?

IamScreened.com launched this service in order to provide you with the very same type of background check an employer or volunteer organization can obtain. It offers three different levels of background checks on its website ranging from simple identity verification and criminal records to a full spectrum of employment and education verifications. You get to pick which package works the best for you.

Another component making IamScreened.com beneficial in your volunteer work search is that you can actually provide any number of organizations with an authorization code so that they can go to the website themselves and look up your report. You do have the option of providing them with a printed copy of your background check, but giving a volunteer organization the added confidence of being able to see your report on the IamScreened.com website first hand may give you an edge on the other applicants.

Check out their website and give yourself an edge over other volunteer applicants!

'Operation Santa Claus' Shut Down Due to Sex Offender

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:33:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:12:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:52:00 +0000

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)?

School Volunteer Convicted of Child Abuse

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:50:00 +0000

Penny West served as a volunteer every day at an elementary school in Tucson, Arizona, despite being found guilty of child abuse under circumstances likely to cause death in early August

Tucson Unified School District volunteers are not subjected to fingerprinting or background checks. Rather, they must disclose their criminal histories, and then the decision whether or not to allow a person with a criminal history to volunteer is left up to the principal of the school.

West and her husband, Randall West, will be sentenced on September 22nd. Both face prison time. The jury found that West acted with criminal negligence when she did not seek medical attention for the 16-month old foster child in her care. Pathologists determined that the little girl, Emily, died of blunt-force trauma to her head. West claims that Emily fell backward and hit her head, which the defense doctors said was plausible. The state's doctors contended the injury was a result of being severely shaken or that Emily was struck with something in the head.

The principal of the school where West volunteered, Chad Knippen, agreed to be a character witness on behalf of Penny West, but was never actually called to do so at the trial. He explained that West has been helping the school for years with filing, copying and putting bulletin boards together. She did not work directly with the students.

Tight budgets are a large reason why schools utilize volunteers to assist them with many tasks. However, if schools become more reliant on volunteers, they also need to rely on background checks to protect children.

Volunteer Coach with Criminal Record Arrested Again

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:05:00 +0000

Antwan Burnell, a former player and volunteer for the North Charleston High School basketball team in South Carolina, was arrested this past weekend for driving under the influence and drug possession.

Because the school system implemented a new policy requiring background checks on volunteers, even without this arrest Burnell would have been banned from volunteering based on his multiple previous drug charges and the prison time he served for crack-cocaine possession.

Burnell played on the basketball team and helped them to a state championship in 1997. However, after graduation, he was arrested multiple times for drug possession and had a charge of aggravated assault. During the 2006-2007 school year, Burnell worked as a volunteer statistician for the basketball team.

School officials have stated that Burnell will not be allowed near the students at the high school and his previous record would have prevented him from coming back as a volunteer as they have begun the background check process.

Volunteers to Help with Traffic Citations

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:13:00 +0000

In Midwest City, Oklahoma, city leaders are discussing strengthening a program that allows volunteers to issue parking citations. The program has already been in place, but now the city is proposing to allow volunteers the authority to ticket cars with expired license plates.

Volunteers for the program must pass a background check and complete a 16-hour class. They are then issued citation books and granted the authority to ticket drivers who violate ordinances such as parking in a handicap space or having expired plates. They work at their leisure and while they do not have a badge or uniform, they are issued an identification card.

A key measure to this program makes it illegal for anyone to interefere, assault or obstruct a parking enforcement officer. People who are found guilty of the above face up to a $750 fine and 60 days in jail.

The Chief of Police, Brandon Clabes, hopes this will help get people off the streets that are driving illegally.

Volunteer Firefighter With Criminal Record Arrested Again

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:38:00 +0000

Byron Fritz, 39, recently left his position as a volunteer firefighter in Augusta County, Virginia after two years. The reason? He was recently arrested after trying to sell law enforcement supplies to a Sheriff.

Sheriff Randy Fisher immediately became suspicious of Fritz and his business, and conducted a background check on Fritz. It revealed that in 1994, he was arrested for impersonating a police officer. In 1997, a court issued an order that he could not possess law enforcement items such as badges, patches or even white vehicles resembling those driven by law enforcement.

Shortly after the background check was completed, the sheriff's office raided Fritz's business, seizing dozens of police badges, handcuffs, stun guns, and pepper spray.

Up until the arrest and seizure occurred, Fritz was a volunteer firefighter despite his criminal record. The Augusta County Fire Department is investigating how he was allowed to become a volunteer firefighter. Chief Mike Fisher was quoted as saying, "A lot of those charges against Mr. Fritz were old charges. I mean, in 2006 when he submitted his application, the last time that was charged was over eight years ago, and any probation or anything like that would be well over by then."

We were able to pull up Fritz's prior record dating back to 1993, which included charges of failure to appear, probation violations, possession of a concealed weapon and driving on a suspended license.

Chief Myers has said that many fire departments across the country are desperate for volunteers and he understands how someone, such as Fritz, could "fall through the cracks."

Mother Sues Mormon Church Over Abuse Case

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:12:00 +0000

A mother from Lawrence, Massachusetts is suing the Mormon church for negligence after her son was sexually abused by a volunteer who was a former sex offender. The mother says the church should be held responsible, as they did not perform a background check on the volunteer.

The offender in question is Kevin Curlew and he served a year in a Maine prison about 22 years ago. Curlew volunteered at the church, acting as a baby-sitter and was convicted of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, as well as two counts of assault and battery. He was sentenced to 9-10 years in jail with 512 days credit.

The lawsuit was filed in May and is against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (referred to as the Mormon church or LDS), its branch in the town of Methuen, Massachusetts, two male members of the local church and Kevin Curlew.

The mother attended women's meetings while babysitters would look after her son. Curlew volunteered as a church baby-sitter and was allowed to baby-sit alone, contrary to the rules and regulations of church policy, which requires two adults to be present when watching children. Curlew molested the 9-year old boy several times in the church bathroom during 2004.

The lawsuit states that even after a Bishop and another member of the church learned of the abuse, the men told the mother that Curlew would receive counseling and insisted that the issue remain within the church. The complaint goes on to state that Curlew was allowed to continue working as a volunteer after the report of abuse was filed.

The attorney for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Harold W. Potter, Jr., admitted the boy was abused but said the church would not accept responsibility. Potter was quoted as saying, "I don't think you could find a church in the United States that does [criminal background] checks on its members."

I'm curious to know if this attorney has done his research in order to back up this statement, as I personally know several churches who conduct background checks on employees and volunteers. In fact, many background check companies offer discounted pricing to churches and other non-profit organizations.

Volunteers Paying for Background Checks

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:27:00 +0000

A few entries back, we talked about entities background checking their employees, and how some opposed background checks as a violation of our civil rights. Out of 36 votes in our poll on the issue, 23 said a background check did not violate these rights.

Now, volunteer organizations are concerned about losing volunteers due to the process requiring the potential volunteers to pay for their own background checks. Depending on what type of checks are run, we have seen organizations charging volunteers anywhere from $20.00 to $80.00, with most checks among the lower range of this pricing scale.

The Calaveras County Animal Services in California is finding itself having to charge volunteers for their own background checks. In the past, it was routine for the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office to run the checks through the California Department of Justice, which charges $32.00. The Sheriff's Office has concluded that they no longer have the money to cover the checks due to the budget crisis in the state.

Volunteers are needed at the shelter to help feed, walk and care for the animals.

The Calaveras County Animal Services must recruit about a dozen new volunteers each year to replace those volunteers who quit or moved away. Debby Beaufort, a Calaveras County Human Society member is concerned that volunteers on low or fixed incomes might not choose to volunteer due to the $32.00 fee.

Belmont Heights Little League Learns to Run Background Checks

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:23:00 +0000

When the umpire of a game for the Belmont Heights Little League in Tampa, Florida failed to show, a man by the name of Byron James Simmons came out of the stands and offered to volunteer to call the game.

Artis Gambrell, president of the little league, recognized the man and coached him in the league when he was young. Simmons' own 10-year old son even played on the team as a second baseman. Gambrell acknowledged that he knew Simmons would know how to call the game and allowed him to volunteer. He did not run a background check because league rules, at that time, did not require one.

A quick background check would have revealed that Simmons was a repeat offender and it only would have taken just a few minutes to complete. Tampa police are now reporting that Simmons raped a 10-year old girl at a park in his van last weekend.

Again, had the league run a background check, they would have revealed that Simmons violated probation stemming from being convicted of possessing a firearm when he was in school. He was then given 270 days in jail. In 2003, he was convicted of the sale and possession of cocaine as well as lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor in between the ages of 12-15 years old. Simmons was given 5 years in prison with credit for time served. Furthermore, he has been arrested for aggravated assault, gambling, theft of a vehicle, marijuana possession as well as fraud.

Gambrell stated that until the present, coaches and other personnel were given background checks, but volunteers, normally parents, were not. The league is going to run background checks on everyone from here on out.

While Simmons didn't register as a sex offender until April of this year and began volunteering in February, a background check would still have picked up his criminal record and prevented him from volunteering.

Volunteer Screening a Violation of Civil Rights?

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Tue, 20 May 2008 21:57:00 +0000

As schools begin to expand their background checks for volunteers, more people are complaining about the checks, citing that their civil rights are being violated.

Robert Smith, a parent of a kindergarten student at West University Elementary School in Houston, Texas, was surprised to learn that he was required to undergo a criminal background check in order to attend his son's field day. He agreed to the background check under protest stating, "There go more of our civil rights." School officials later told him that he could have attended without a criminal background check, but he would have been required to stay behind a fence in a restricted area.

West University Elementary is also going to require criminal background checks for any parents wishing to join their children for an end of the school year celebration. The principal of the school, John Threet, has said the checks are important because not everyone in attendance can be monitored by teachers and staff.

West University Elementary is one of the schools found who is remarkably strict about running background checks, but more and more schools are adopting a policy of screening all of their volunteers. Opponents have stated that schools will lose prospective volunteers because of background checks and submitting to the checks is a violation of civil rights.

What do you think?

Bill in Minnesota Would Require Background Checks for School Volunteers

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:26:00 +0000

A bill in Minnesota is currently on its way to the Governor of the state. The bill would require criminal background checks for certain volunteers working in schools. Some school districts are fighting this change.

Opponents of the bill have cited costs as one of their reasons for not conducting background checks, saying the school districts would not be able to afford them. Opponents also state that criminal background checks would scare potential volunteers away who may have had DWI convictions. The concern is that schools will lose needed volunteers.

Some school districts, however, are in support of the bill and feel that background checks are especially important on sports activity volunteers. They say not all criminal offenses would disqualify a person from volunteering, but the districts need to have correct information to make informed decisions.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously and passed in the House with 112-15. It is now awaiting the signature of Governor Tim Pawlenty who has expressed his support of the bill.

The requirement would include background checks on all coaches and adults who assist with extracurricular activities in schools, either employees or volunteers. It would not apply to volunteers who read to children in classrooms or who help out with other classroom activities.

Registered Sex Offender Tried to Coach T-Ball

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:30:00 +0000

Anthony Littleton Cannon, 30, is a registered sex offender in Gulfport, Mississippi. This spring, he volunteered to help coach a T-ball team of children, ages 4 to 6 years old. Cannon is registered in accordance with the law, but failed to give written notice to the organization.

Cannon’s step-son plays on the team and someone at the ball park recognized him as a registered sex offender on opening day, March 29th. Cannon had volunteered to help coach the Yankees, a team within the Gulfport Youth Sports Association.

The association President, Ricky Dombrowski, logged onto the sex offender website and located Cannon after he had been made aware. He said, “…there he was. If we had known about his conviction, we wouldn’t have allowed him to volunteer.”

This experience has prompted the association to now require criminal background checks on all coaches, assistants and volunteers and will charge a $6 fee for doing so.

Cannon was convicted on three counts of sexual assault involving a teenage girl when he was 20-years-old. This occurred in Denton County, Texas in 1998. State law does require registered sex offenders who want to do volunteer work to notify the organization in writing.

Sheriff Melvin Brisolara and Dombrowski said they have no reason to believe Cannon had any inappropriate contact with the children. Dombrowski said, “Had we known, I think we would have allowed him to come to the park to watch (the child) play, but we would not have allowed him to be involved with anything else.”

Cannon was arrested for failing to give written notice of his previous charges on April 16, 2008, and he was held at the Harrison County jail on a $25,000 bond.

Volunteer Firefighters with Criminal Backgrounds Not Welcome in Parker County, Texas

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:12:00 +0000

Steve Anderson used to be a volunteer firefighter in Reno, Texas until a background check uncovered a felony conviction of burglary of a habitation, which occurred over 20 years ago. Anderson had to turn in his gear and quit when told by his chief at the Reno Volunteer Fire Department that they could no longer contract with volunteers who had been convicted of felonies or misdemeanors.

Parker County officials cited liability and a standardization of contracts with its 20 volunteer fire departments as reasons for the change. Many of the volunteer fire departments already had rules set up for not working with volunteers who possessed criminal backgrounds.

Anderson is protesting and stated, “I understand not wanting sex offenders or people with multiple DUI’s, but I was just young and stupid. We have some big grass fires out here, and we need all the men willing to help that we can get.”

Parker County Fire Marshal Shawn Scott said only about a dozen of the 400 volunteer firefighters had criminal records and their removal has not impacted the fire fighting coverage. Parker County made the decision to begin background checking volunteer fire fighters late last year after discovering that not all of the departments were doing so.

Anderson’s former fire chief described him as a reliable firefighter and stated, “He’d always show up to fires and his job. I didn’t want to let him go but, if I didn’t, it would probably have jeopardized the department.” He acknowledged that Anderson had told him that he had been in trouble with the law, but did not go into specifics. Furthermore, the department did not complete a background check.

Anderson still hopes to appeal his volunteer status with the board. Chris Barron, executive director of the State Firemen and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas said that the Parker County background checks were not unique and many departments across Texas are adopting the same practice. Barron said, “I’m happy [Anderson] is making a living and doing well with his life, but we have to know and be careful about who we’re sending out into homes and businesses.”

Registered Sex Offender Found Volunteering in Kindergarten Class

noreply@blogger.com (JenWiehl) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:57:00 +0000

A man volunteering at Harloe Elementary School in Arroyo Grande, California was discovered as having been a registered sex offender. He was discovered after one of the children’s parents, who works for the local police department, recognized the man’s name.

The man did not appear on the Megan’s Law website because his offense was considered low-level, and a “low-level” designation does not require that an offender’s name and photograph be listed on the website. He was arrested at Pirate’s Cove in 2001 for indecent exposure.

The school sent a letter home with children notifying parents that a sex offender had been supervising their children. Principal Juan Olivarria reported the man was never left alone with the children, and that no incidents have been reported.

A simple background check would have prevented this occurrence from happening. Even the local police department was surprised that no background check was completed. The school has stated that the man is no longer volunteering and is not allowed on the school campus any longer.

Politic Poll Results

rstofle@gmail.com (Richard St.Ofle) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:34:00 +0000

After conducting a (very non-scientific, by the way) poll, it seems that the majority of our readers feel that political volunteers should have their backgrounds checked, but the volunteers should be asked to pay for the checks themselves.

This makes for an interesting situation. With political volunteers already seemingly unpaid, fronting the cash for a background check may turn away scores of casual volunteers.

On the other hand, most background checking companies will negotiate a discount dependant on volume. When combined, these volunteers number (dependant, of course on the campaign, and the office the candidate is hoping to fill) somewhere in the thousands. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a company that's not willing to offer a discount to an entity that wants to screen thousands of volunteers within the scope of a few months.

Either way, according to the votes, something should be done, (there was only one vote in the "no" column).

Presidential Volunteers not screened

rstofle@gmail.com (Richard St.Ofle) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:58:00 +0000

Here's something that's not surprising;
A recent study shows that less than 5% of volunteers for the Presidential Candidates' campaign offices are screened with background checks.

While it's obviously not a priority, and money can be spent elsewhere, it does seem like anyone dealing with a possible future president (yes, one of the candidates will eventually be president) should have at least a once-over on their background before being allowed to volunteer.

What do you think?

A Call for Background Checks

rstofle@gmail.com (Richard St.Ofle) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:12:00 +0000

The Indianapolis office of the Salvation Army said that recent allegations about a volunteer’s theft won’t change the way they screen volunteers for the holiday season.

Salvation Army volunteer Sean Sayers was arrested for stealing from the Wal-Mart where he was volunteering as a bell ringer, which violated his probation on a previous stealing charge.

"It always makes me sad," said Major Richard Hartman of the Salvation Army about the Anderson case. "You don't have to steal."

The allegations however, won’t change the way the Christian charity organization screens for volunteers and officials say they won’t probe any deeper into the personal lives of those already volunteering.
The fact that a number of bell ringers are placed there as punishment by the courts, would lead some to think that a background check would be an obvious step, but that’s not the way the SA sees it.

Major Hartman says he's “reluctant to offend” the volunteers and the paid employees who offer their help, not to mention the dent it might make in donations.
"You know, they're helping us out," he said. "I just think it would be prohibitive to do a background check on everyone that rings a bell for us."

"Most of them are pretty good joes," he said.

But what about the ones that aren’t pretty good joes? Call me crazy, but if someone were dressed up like Santa Claus ringing a bell for charity outside of a department store all winter long, I’d want to know if he (or she) were a sex offender, a thief, a felon, drug addict, etc. I think that background checks are cost effective enough that the danger far outweighs the price. Charity organizations have a responsibility to the public to make sure they’re not putting people in danger.