Pennsylvania House panel OKs FBI checks of school job seekers
Harrisburg, PA -- Legislation requiring expanded background checks for people applying for jobs in schools won the House Education Committee's approval yesterday. But the full House might not vote on the bill before lawmakers leave for summer recess, a spokesman said.
The bill would require people seeking jobs in public or private schools where they would deal directly with children to submit to a federal background check, starting April 1. The federal check would be in addition to the child abuse and state criminal history checks already required.
FBI fingerprint checks, which are required now only from people who have lived in the state less than two years, show convictions in other states and convictions of federal crimes. State police background checks of job applicants reveal only crimes committed in Pennsylvania.
The bill now goes to the full House, which might not vote on it before summer recess, said a spokesman for House Majority Leader Sam Smith, R-Jefferson.
Rep. Lawrence Curry, D-Jenkintown, is hoping for speedy consideration to get the law on the books, since the FBI will run checks only on people required by state law to have them done.
Curry introduced the bill after learning of substitute teacher in Cheltenham Twp. School District, outside of Philadelphia, who was fired in December for making sexual advances to a female student. Following the teacher's arrest, the school district learned he had an assault conviction in Virginia.
Then came the incident in April at Steelton-Highspire High School involving hall monitor Rodney Ramsey, 35, of Steelton, who is awaiting trial on charges that he had sex or sexual contact with girls he met while working at the school. Ramsey was hired by the district despite federal convictions for cocaine distribution.
Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin County, said he supports Curry's bill, but suggests it might not have stopped Ramsey from being hired.
"Somebody had knowledge of his federal crimes but didn't use it as a method of screening that particular employee," Piccola said.
Pennsylvania is one of only a few states that do not have a law requiring school employees to submit to an FBI check, according to Carolyn Angelo, executive director of the Professional Standards and Practices Commission, the state's teacher disciplinary board.
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Posted by Editor at June 23, 2005 02:32 PM
