Source: https://www.gardnerk12.org/about-us/district-policies/adda-background-checks/
Timestamp: 2018-04-23 15:30:04
Document Index: 448539929

Matched Legal Cases: ['§38', '§ 16962', '§ 167', '§ 2', '§ 534', '§71', '§71', '§ 167', '§38', '§71', '§ 534', '§ 16962', '§ 2']

Gardner School District :: ADDA BACKGROUND CHECKS
REPLACES CURRENT POLICY File: ADDA
It shall be the policy of the Gardner Public Schools that, as required by law, a state and national fingerprint criminal background check will be conducted to determine the suitability of full or part time current and prospective school employees, who may have direct and unmonitored contact with children. School employees shall include, but not be limited to any apprentice, intern, or student teacher or individuals in similar positions, who may have direct and unmonitored contact with children. The school committee shall only obtain a fingerprint background check for current and prospective employees for whom the school committee has direct hiring authority. In the case of an individual directly hired by a school committee, the chair of the school committee shall review the results of the national criminal history check. The superintendent shall also obtain a state and national fingerprint background check for any individual, who regularly provides school related transportation to children. The school committee, superintendent or principal as appropriate may obtain a state and national fingerprint criminal background check for any volunteer, subcontractor or laborer commissioned by the school committee, school or employed by the city or town to perform work on school grounds, who may have direct and unmonitored contact with children. School volunteers and subcontractors/laborers who may have direct and unmonitored contact with children must continue to submit state CORI checks.
A fee will be charged by the provider to the employee and educator for national fingerprint background checks which may from time to time be adjusted by the appropriate agency. The employer shall continue to obtain periodically, but not less than every 3 years, from the department of criminal justice information services all available criminal offender record information (CORI) for any current and prospective employee or volunteer within the school district who may have direct and unmonitored contact with children.
This policy is applicable to any fingerprint-based state and national criminal history record check made for non-criminal justice purposes and requested under applicable federal authority and/or state statute authorizing such checks for licensing or employment purposes.
Fingerprint-based CHRI checks will only be conducted as authorized by M.G.L c. 71, §38R and 42 U.S.C. § 16962, in accordance with all applicable state and federal rules and regulations and in compliance with M.G.L c. 6, §§ 167-178 and 803 CMR §§ 2.00, et seq. If an applicant or employee is required to submit to a fingerprint-based state and national criminal history record check, he/she shall be informed of this requirement and instructed on how to comply with the law.
Such instruction will include information on the procedure for submitting fingerprints. In addition, the applicant or employee will be provided with all information needed to successfully register for a fingerprinting appointment (e.g., Authorized fingerprint vendor, vendor’s website address, and district provider identification number).
All CHRI is subject to strict state and federal rules and regulations in addition to Massachusetts CORI laws and regulations. CHRI cannot be shared with any unauthorized entity for any purpose, including subsequent hiring determinations. All receiving entities are subject to audit by the Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) and the FBI, and failure to comply with such rules and regulations could lead to sanctions. Title 28, U.S.C. § 534, Pub. L. 92-544 and Title 28 C.F.R. 20.33(b) provide that the exchange of records and information is subject to cancellation if dissemination is made outside of the receiving entity or related entities. Furthermore, an entity can be charged criminally for the unauthorized disclosure of CHRI.
CHRI shall only be stored for extended periods of time when needed for the integrity and/or utility of an individual's personnel file. Administrative, technical, and physical safeguards, which are in compliance with the most recent CJIS Security Policy have been implemented to ensure the security and confidentiality of CHRI. The CJIS Security Policy can be found at http://www.mass.gov/eopss/law-enforce-and-cj/cjis/fbi-cjis-security-policy.html. Each individual involved in the handling of CHRI is to familiarize himself/herself with these safeguards.
 Historical reference and/or comparison with future CHRI requests,
 Dispute of the accuracy of the record
 Evidence for any subsequent proceedings based on information contained in the CHRI.
CHRI will be kept for the above purposes in a secure location within the department of Human Resources at City Hall.
In determining an individual's suitability, the Gardner Public Schools will consider but not be limited by the following factors:
 the nature and gravity of the crime and the underlying conduct
 the time that has passed since the offense, conviction and/or completion of the sentence
 nature of the position held or sought
 age of the individual at the time of the offense
 number of offenses
 any relevant evidence of rehabilitation or lack thereof
 any other factors deemed relevant by the district
 The name and date of birth of the employee or applicant;
 The date on which the school employer received the national criminal history check results; and,
 The suitability determination (either "suitable" or "unsuitable").
 The suitability determination was made within the last seven years; and
 The individual has not resided outside of Massachusetts for any period longer than three years since the suitability determination was made; and either
 The individual has been employed continuously for one or more school employers or has gaps totaling no more than two years in his or her employment for school employers; or
 If the individual works as a substitute employee, the individual is still deemed suitable for employment by the school employer who made a favorable suitability determination. Upon request of another school employer, the initial school employer shall provide documentation that the individual is still deemed suitable for employment by the initial school employer.
Documentation of Reliance on a Previous Favorable Suitability Determination. In any instance where a school employer relies on a suitability determination made by another school employer or by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the relying school employer shall retain the following documentation:
 A copy of the documentation received from the school employer or agency that made the relied-upon suitability determination, and;
 Documentation establishing that the individual met the criteria of 603 CMR 51.06(3)(a), (b), and either (c) or (d) as defined above, and;
 Gardner Public Schools may choose to perform a new national criminal history check on an individual rather than rely on a previous favorable suitability determination. Gardner Public Schools shall bear the cost of such a new check.
 Provide the individual with a copy of his/her CHRI used in making the adverse decision
 Provide the individual with a copy of this CHRI Policy
 Provide the individual the opportunity to complete or challenge the accuracy of his/her CHRI
 Provide the individual with information on the process for updating, changing, or correcting CHRI
1) Subject Name
2) Subject Date of Birth
3) Date and Time of the dissemination
4) Name of the individual to whom the information was provided
5) Name of the agency for which the requestor works
6) Contact information for the requestor
7) The specific reason for the request
Pursuant to M.G.L c. 71, §71R and 603 CMR 51.07, if the District dismisses, declines to renew the employment of, obtains the resignation of, or declines to hire a licensed educator or an applicant for a Massachusetts educator license because of information discovered through a state or national criminal record check, the District shall report such decision or action to the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education in writing within 30 days of the employer action or educator resignation. The report shall be in a form requested by the Department and shall include the reason for the action or resignation as well as a copy of the criminal record checks results. The District shall notify the employee or applicant that it has made a report pursuant to 603 CMR 51.07(1) to the Commissioner.
Pursuant to M.G.L c. 71, §71R and 603 CMR 51.07, if the District discovers information from a state or national criminal record check about a licensed educator or an applicant for a Massachusetts educator license that implicates grounds for license action pursuant to 603 CMR 7.15(8)(a), the District shall report to the Commissioner in writing within 30 days of the discovery, regardless of whether the district retains or hires the educator as an employee. The report must include a copy of the criminal record check results. The school employer shall notify the employee or applicant that it has made a report pursuant to 603 CMR 51.07(2) to the Commissioner and shall also send a copy of the criminal record check results to the employee or applicant.
Legal References: M.G.L c. 6, §§ 167-178; M.G.L c. 71, §38R; M.G.L c. 71, §71R; Title 28 C.F.R. 20.33(b); Title 28, U.S.C. § 534; 42 U.S.C. § 16962; Pub. L. 92-544; 603 CMR 7.15(8)(a); 603 CMR 51.06(3); 603 CMR 51.07; 603 CMR 51.07(1); 603 CMR 51.07(2); 803 CMR §§ 2.00
[Revised: December 2005]
[Reviewed: March 2011]
[Revised: December 2014]