Inadequate Background Check
A Nashville school district has fired three employees after discovering that a middle school teacher was hired despite an outstanding criminal warrant for child molestation. This story illustrates the pitfalls of relying too heavily on routine criminal background checks. The accused teacher, Ronald Boykin, had no criminal conviction, but had been wanted for two years in another city in the state.
According to news reports, the district fired the employees for lax hiring practices. Apparently Boykin actually noted on his application that he was under criminal investigation, although it is not clear whether he specified what was being investigated. The district employes also failed to re-check his application when he transferred from a support position to being a teacher.
The first line of defense in any youth-serving organization is a thorough application interview. One of the best resources on screening employees, including how to conduct an interview, is the CDC's publication about policies and procedures. It is free, and available for download here.
