GAO Report: Schools Still Hiring Sex Offenders

In a disturbing report just released by the U.S. General Accounting Office to the House Committee on Education and Labor, sex offenders are still finding jobs in schools. Many of these offenders used their positions to abuse more children. Why is this happening? According to the GAO, there are several reasons:

School boards often let teachers who engage in misconduct resign instead of firing them. That makes it harder for new employers to learn why the teacher left their former assignment. In some startling cases, the school officials even gave the teacher who left a positive reference letter.

Many schools are lax in performing preemployment criminal background checks.

Schools that do perform checks often only perform local checks, fail to use fingerprints (making it easier to use false identification) or only perform the check once instead of on a recurring basis.

Some schools failed to follow up on troubling references or missing information on applications.

The stories from the report are extremely disturbing. In Ohio, a teacher was allowed to resign after inappropriate contact with female students. The teacher was not disciplined and received an "outstanding" reference from the local superintendent. The result? He was hired in a neighboring district where he was subsequently convicted of sexual assault of a 6th grader.

In Arizona, a school was in a rush to fill positions. That school was in such a hurry that it failed to perform a background check of all applicants. The result? The school hired a teacher who had been previously convicted of sexual abuse of a minor. His behavior was unfortunately repeated in his new school.

In Connecticut, a teacher was allowed to resign after using a school computer to access pornography. When the teacher applied for a new position his former school administrator gave him a great recommendation. He was later forced to resign yet again, this time from the new school district and once again was given good recommendations. He was ultimately hired by a third school district where he was convicted of sexually assaulting two students.

Although the above examples all deal with teachers, pedophiles and child molesters frequently find jobs as bus drivers, janitors, coaches, substitute teachers and volunteers. Background checks are often more lax for non- full time teachers, although these other school workers have just as much access to children. (Wisconsin, Iowa, West Virginia and Alaska have no formal requirements for non- licensed teachers.)

What does this mean for our kids? Unfortunately our kids are at risk because the people charged with keeping them safe - school boards and administrators - often fail to do their job. Parents have the right to expect their kids will be safe at school. Until administrators do their job and require recurring, national background checks on all people who have direct contact with kids, keeping kids safe is "hit or miss." Schools that allow offenders to resign or provide positive recommendations are simply putting other kids at risk.

Schools and school boards can be held financially responsible when kids are molested or assaulted by staff and volunteers. While money is a small consolation to victims, it remains a tool of forcing school boards to do their job and take their responsibilities seriously.