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Abilene School Volunteers Not Disturbed by Background Checks

There has been a bit of a mini-uproar over school volunteers undergoing background checks before they are eligible for various chores and duties.     Some have claimed the background checks for school volunteers are far too stringent, as some of the candidates have relatively minor criminal records with some dating back a good long time ago.   As a fair number of these people have since moved on from prior transgressions and are living responsible lives, then the question is why are they not allowed to participate as volunteers in functions where presumably their kids are going to school?

So there is a call for the criterion for eligibility to be somewhat adjusted so that violent felons and sex offenders are excluded along with those who have been convicted of other more recent and serious crimes.   In fact, I have blogged about this subject with one such article being Background Checks for Utah Schools.

However, a recent article in the Abilene Reporter News cites the implementation of background checks for local school volunteers had not created much of a ruckus.   The mandatory background checks in the community has been in place since 2007.   But right now the larger concern is the shortage of volunteers as the economy and the need for a second source of income has reduced the number of stay-at-home moms.   The article goes on to say that the officials at the school board try to use common sense when accepting or rejecting a volunteer’s services.    Certain crimes they figure may not be a factor, or the volunteer may be watched closely for any transgressions but still allowed to participate.  Others, the obvious sexual offenders and violent felons wouldn’t be eligible for volunteer serves.

Makes sense to me.

By Gordon Basichis

Gordon Basichis is the Co-Founder of Corra Group, specializing in pre-employment background checks and corporate research. He has been a marketing and media executive and has worked in the entertainment industry, the financial, health care and technology sectors. He is the author of the best selling Beautiful Bad Girl, The Vicki Morgan Story, a non-fiction novel that helped define exotic sexuality in the late twentieth century. He is the author of the Constant Travellers and has recently completed a new book, The Guys Who Spied for China, dealing with Chinese Espionage in the United States. He has been a journalist for several newspapers and is a screenwriter and producer.

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