The task force was composed of school administrators, lawyers, Department of Education officials, and parents whose children have been victimized by sexual predators. This bill focuses entirely on background investigations and the efforts of a school district to contact former employers about job performance and behavior. Mr. Smith asked if the school districts feel the state fingerprint and FBI checks are inadequate. Mr. Pickrell replied that the Department of Education is concerned with fingerprinting of certified employees, teachers and administrators, only. Districts do fingerprinting for all classified employees.
Districts are concerned about the speed with which certificates are released.
Mr. Smith asked whether the district can release information if a person is not charged or convicted of a crime. Mr. Pickrell replied that the district can release that information because it is a job reference or job performance evaluation. This immunity is to encourage former employers to talk about their former employees. If an employee was released because their behavior was erratic, they did not perform well, that were fired under circumstances suggesting they posed a danger to clients, employees, or students, that information can be considered by the next employer in making a hiring decision. People who are found to be sexual predators most often do not have a criminal history record.