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Background checks aren't foolproof
As children return to school after a year when several Fairfax County Public Schools staff were arrested, those in charge of the school system's hiring say they are doing everything possible to keep criminals away from students.
An unusually high number of school employees were arrested during the 2007-2008 school year, said Kevin North, head of the school system's Human Resources Department.
As the 2008-2009 school year begins, the schools' hiring staff will continue with its stringent approach to screening applicants, North said. Last year's statistics proved that approach hasn't always been successful, according to notifications from the county's police.
Leonard Marsh, an assistant principal at Cub Run Elementary School, was arrested Oct. 30, 2007, for growing marijuana. Police arrested Marsh and his wife, Jinny, after narcotics detectives executed a search warrant at the Marshes' home and found marijuana in packages and growing in a closet.
In May 2008, Rachel Smith, a teacher at the Chantilly Academy, was arrested and charged with possessing methamphetamine.
Thyra Eller-Cox, 42, was an administrative assistant at Greenbriar West Elementary School when she was arrested and charged with two counts of embezzlement in December 2007. She allegedly deposited school money into a personal bank account, police said.
Ted Velkoff, president of Chantilly High School's PTSA, said the topic has been discussed at the group's meetings. Administrators assure parents that everything is being done to hire quality staff.
"Personally, I feel everything is being done to keep our children safe," Velkoff said.
Allan Barbee, a former investigator specialist for the county school system, said in November 2007 that about 5 percent of people applying for county school jobs have a prior criminal record.
They are required to undergo background checks from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the state police and the Virginia Department of Social Services.
A criminal record doesn't necessarily prohibit someone from being hired by Fairfax County Public Schools – it depends on the nature of the crime, North said. Some misdemeanors may be overlooked. Prior assault, abuse or drug convictions automatically disqualify people, North said.
But “there is no way to predict what will happen in the future,” North said. None of the employees charged last year had prior criminal records.
Hiring policies vary widely among school systems, Wayde Byard, a spokesman for Loudoun's public schools, said. Loudoun County Public Schools absolutely will not hire someone with a criminal record, Byard said. That school system also runs staff applications through several background checks, including the FBI.
Just last week a teacher at Loudoun County's Freedom High School was arrested for possessing child pornography. Ting-Yi Oei, a Reston resident and former employee of Fairfax County Public Schools, allegedly obtained an inappropriate photo of a female juvenile student from a student, and failed to report it. The case is a "complex legal issue," Byard said, and the teacher is under investigation and on paid administrative leave.
A personal background search on all the people in the neighborhood can help you realize when precautions are needed so that your family stays safe and secure. backgroundsearch.com Knowing who lives near your home can can minimize risks involved. Knowing the sex offenders in your neighborhood seems like a minimum precaution. Government often lodges several sex offenders in a single building.
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