Background Checks for Church Workers and School Teachers

none | 04/19/02 | self

[hsmomx3]

Do teachers have to go through the same kind of background check as someone who purchases a gun? Seems to me that the gun checks are more thorough than a teacher check. Also, maybe we ought to start doing this for priests. I cannot imagine how many children may have been abused over the years. Are there any stats. for public school teacher assaults on kids?

[hsmomx3]

Just something I've been thinking about.

[HELLRAISER II]

My wife is a school teacher & not only did she have to go through a background check, she also had to have her finger prints taken & sent off to the State of Georgia & if i'm not mistaken the FBI to be approved to teach here in Georgia.

[HELLRAISER II]

Oh one other thing, I realize where your going with this & it's not that I disagree with you because I don't afterall I have 2 children of my own & I don't want them to suffer in any way at the hands of some pedophile. But I would tell you that the kids assault teachers often enough to, maybe not sexually but you would be astonished at how often these little punks threaten & hurt other students & teachers as well. Anyway I'll get off my bandwagon & let ya'll rip'em up.

[goodnesswins]

Hey...I work in a classroom for a few hours a week and I had to be fingerprinted and checked out (once). Thing is if a priest or teacher has never been found out then checking them doesn't do any good....especially if the former employer just sends them on their way with a letter of recommendation. We need something else, like a database done by the PUBLIC (not gov't) that tracks these people.

[cantfindagoodscreenname]

I work with children at a church and we are required by the church's insurance company to have background checks. We also have strict rules about how we interact with children. There have to always be two adults in the room with even one child. Only certain types of touching are allowed (side hugs vs. front hugs). So, the answer to your question is "yes".

Candi (who could also be called hsmomx4)

[Askel5]

Also, maybe we ought to start doing this for priests

The People are gonna go for this big-time.

[AUgrad]

New teachers in Alabama have had background checks for a couple of years now. I believe they will check all teachers beginning next year.

It's a good idea.

[waspguy]

As a priest of the Episcopal Church - I can tell you from first hand experience that we go through a series of extensive background checks, not just when we're ordained, but as we move from parish to parish.

The checks include a full criminal background check, reference check, credit report, and many times a PI rumaging around. It's not a lot of fun, but it does help to quickly identify problem people and remove them from positions where they can cause others harm.

In our denomination, the criminal checks and between 6-9 hours of sexual misconduct prevention training are mandatory for all paid church workers. Volunteer Youth workers are expected to complete the training course before they are allowed to work with young people in the parish.

We've been taking this seriously for years, and while some people do slip through the cracks, the rate of incidents is much lower than in other denominations.

Of course we've got our own "heresy" problems in other areas, so I'm not throwing stones.

[Vince Ferrer]

Also, maybe we ought to start doing this for priests.

Most dioceses have had such background checks for several years already. I know that the Denver archdiocese instituted strict background checks for every employee in 1991. I think every occupation that provides access to children will have to have similar standards, if they don't already.

[TheBattman]

Here in Arkansas:

You go throught a background check, including fingerprinting and FBI check when you get your teaching certificate and every time you renew your certificate.

You also go through the same check when you are hired at a school - even if you just completed the same background check recently. Go figure.

[Sungirl]

Why not background checks on fast food workers? They have alot of power too....already we've seen mad cow disease here. What could stop a fast food worker from sticking something in your food? :}

[hsmomx3]

The reason I brought this up was because of something I found online the other day.

"The National Education Association, for instance, has a policy asserting "the right to be free from fingerprinting as a condition of employment. Also of high concern is the worry that a person "not be punished twice for the same crime."

This can be found at the following web address:

http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed324767.html

Have any of you ever heard this?

[hsmomx3]

I believe you!! Too bad kids aren't disciplined to the point were they will never want to do it again!!

[HELLRAISER II]

If someone is a child molester that person should have a record & the people should have the right to know it regardless of what profession one is in.