Criminal Background Checks For Prom Dates

[MrsSpringsteen]

I've never heard of any school doing this, seems like it's on very shaky legal ground.

Boston Herald

A Cape Cod teen is all dressed up with no place to go after her high school snooped into her boyfriend’s past and banned him from the prom after learning he’d been convicted of pot possession.

“It’s like a smack in the face,” said 18-year-old Erica Eckert, one of two seniors whose non-student boyfriends were too bad for the big dance. “I’m honestly not sure what I want to do,” she said in a tearful interview last night.

Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School banned Eckert’s 19-year-old boyfriend from Saturday’s soiree after a criminal background check turned up a past marijuana possession charge, Eckert said.

The school started Criminal Offender Record Information checks this year for non-students going to the prom. Any date with a criminal past would be rejected, she said. A School Committee member last night said the school’s administrators - not the School Committee - approved the policy.

Now Eckert’s mom Kathy is out the $500 she paid for her daughter’s turquoise dress, limo and makeup for the big night.

“It’s just a real shame that everything is paid for,” she said. “It’s really sad.”

The Massachusetts American Civil Liberties Union said the school’s actions are illegal.

“The principal cannot go snooping in CORI records for people,” said Norma Shapiro, the ACLU’s legislative director.

She said that state CORI laws permit digging into the criminal past of school volunteers with access to students.

“Exactly how does that extend to the prom?” Shapiro said.

Kathy Eckert met with the principal yesterday to plead with him but could not convince him, she said.

Principal Kenneth Jenks did not return calls for comment.
Another senior, Lindsey Roderick, 17, said her 20-year-old boyfriend of three years was also rejected. The school never told her they were digging into his past, she said.

“It’s very unfair,‘’ she said.
Eckert got the bad news Friday when she went to the school office and picked up the application she filled out for her boyfriend, a Rhode Island college student. The word “rejected” was written on the sheet.

“I was so upset,” said a tearful Eckert, who still hasn’t decided whether she’ll go to the prom alone or just stay home.

 

[melon]

Like I've said, it has to be a prerequisite that you must hate children to be a school administrator. I'm very glad I'm out of high school.

Melon

 

[randhail]

Is this really all that much different than giving students a breathalyzer test before going into the prom?

 

[BVS]

Is this really all that much different than giving students a breathalyzer test before going into the prom?

Uh yeah, big difference.

 

[randhail]

care to elaborate on that one?

 

[BVS]

care to elaborate on that one?

Well the most obvious would be showing up to prom intoxicated would be illegal. There's also the fact that there's liability and safety reasons.

Someone's priors, especially if paid for and no longer a part of their current lives, have no bearing on the evening's events.

 

[djfeelgood]

Wow..thats appalling. High School prom, some of the happiests memories you will ever have, down the drain just like that.

And for Pot possession? Give me a break.

 

[sharky]

Um...I don't mean to sound like a stick in the mud, but I don't have a problem with the school banning this guy. He's a 19-year-old in college. If he was convicted of possession, it would have to be in the past two years since the school would not have before his 18th birthday. They are public records that can be viewed by anyone. Same goes for when you apply for a job and they do a background check.

And the mom is pissed about being out $500? I'm sorry, but if I was that mom, I'd be wondering why my daughter is going to prom with a convicted felon. Even I will agree that pot isn't that bad, it should be legalized, etc., but as a mother, it's your job to set a good example for your kids. Getting huffy about $500 instead of the fact that your daughter wants to take a convicted felon to prom is the wrong choice.

When I went to Catholic school, you had to take your prom date through a receiving line of teachers when you got to the hall, shake the teachers' hands, introduce your date to them. That way, the teachers could show they were there, paying attention and, frankly, checking your walking and talking to make sure you weren't drunk. It was obvious and I had no problem with it because I had nothing to hide.

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

Like I've said, it has to be a prerequisite that you must hate children to be a school administrator. I'm very glad I'm out of high school.

Melon

I agree. They´re always trying to find new ways to screw over the kids.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

while it may be a bit extreme, as long as the kids were told ahead of time that any non students would be subjected to background checks, hten i really don't see what the problem is.

any volunteer and/or employee of most school districts, even alumni who are only out a year or two, are subject to background checks and in most cases are barred from working with the school if they have any sort of record... so why is this so different than that? if the person were a student at the school and was arrested out of school, they'd probably be banned from prom...

i don't think it would be that big a deal if they let them go, but i don't see how it's that big a deal that they didn't let 'em go, either.

 

[Bono's shades]

Um...I don't mean to sound like a stick in the mud, but I don't have a problem with the school banning this guy. He's a 19-year-old in college. If he was convicted of possession, it would have to be in the past two years since the school would not have before his 18th birthday. They are public records that can be viewed by anyone. Same goes for when you apply for a job and they do a background check.

And the mom is pissed about being out $500? I'm sorry, but if I was that mom, I'd be wondering why my daughter is going to prom with a convicted felon. Even I will agree that pot isn't that bad, it should be legalized, etc., but as a mother, it's your job to set a good example for your kids. Getting huffy about $500 instead of the fact that your daughter wants to take a convicted felon to prom is the wrong choice.

When I went to Catholic school, you had to take your prom date through a receiving line of teachers when you got to the hall, shake the teachers' hands, introduce your date to them. That way, the teachers could show they were there, paying attention and, frankly, checking your walking and talking to make sure you weren't drunk. It was obvious and I had no problem with it because I had nothing to hide.

But even convicted felons have rights once they have paid their debt to society. And for all we know this guy may have vowed to stay clean after he got convicted.

 

[BVS]

But even convicted felons have rights once they have paid their debt to society. And for all we know this guy may have vowed to stay clean after he got convicted.

Exactly...

any volunteer and/or employee of most school districts, even alumni who are only out a year or two, are subject to background checks and in most cases are barred from working with the school if they have any sort of record... so why is this so different than that?

But they aren't applying for a job, they're going to a one night only dance.

 

[randhail]

Going to the prom is not a right. It is a school activity and therefore a privilege to take part in. The school can establish criteria for conduct determining who is welcome and not welcome to attend.

 

[BAW]

But even convicted felons have rights once they have paid their debt to society. And for all we know this guy may have vowed to stay clean after he got convicted.

Very true.

And technically speaking, this guy isn't even a felon. Marijuana possession is a misdemeanor in Mass. so he most likely wasn't even charged with a felony offense.

Most job applications only ask for felony convictions so unless he was convicted for possession with intent to sell or something, this is an offense he normally wouldn't even need to disclose. It seems pretty extreme to bar someone from a dance over what appears to be a minor transgression.

 

[BVS]

Going to the prom is not a right. It is a school activity and therefore a privilege to take part in. The school can establish criteria for conduct determining who is welcome and not welcome to attend.

Well that's all fine and dandy, but it doesn't mean it's right.

What next no one with a GPA under C can't go?

 

[randhail]

I'm sure there are some schools out there that have GPA requirements. At my high school, you couldn't be on a school athletic team if you were failing more than one class. Anything outside the classroom that is sponsered by the school is subject to whatever rules the school has. I don't think this is unreasonable at all.

In college, I was put on probation for violating the alcohol policy as a sophomore and was not allowed to run for student congress, write for the paper, etc even after my time on probation was up. Rules are rules. If you go the school, then they apply to you.

 

[BVS]

I'm sure there are some schools out there that have GPA requirements. At my high school, you couldn't be on a school athletic team if you were failing more than one class. Anything outside the classroom that is sponsered by the school is subject to whatever rules the school has. I don't think this is unreasonable at all.

In college, I was put on probation for violating the alcohol policy as a sophomore and was not allowed to run for student congress, write for the paper, etc even after my time on probation was up. Rules are rules. If you go the school, then they apply to you.

Well GPA requirements make sense when it comes to athletics. Athletics take up much time, and if grades slip then then the grades come first...

One night's not going to affect grades.

So yes rules may be rules, but it doesn't mean they are all good or even logical rules.

Are they going to do background checks on guest speakers, and all other visitors?

 

[randhail]

I would guess that the intention of a rule like this is to prevent sexual abusers or those facing assualt type charges from attending the prom. But I agree that a line needs to be drawn. Perhaps there was a rule that said anyone convicted of a felony or drug/alcohol related charge can't attend. If that's the case, then no one can really complain. If someone with a speeding ticket or other traffic violation was allowed to attend and no specific rule existed, then I could see more an issue.

 

[sharky]

But even convicted felons have rights once they have paid their debt to society. And for all we know this guy may have vowed to stay clean after he got convicted.

So by that token, we shouldn't have a public list of sexual offenders because hey, they paid their debt to society.

If you are convicted of a crime, there are consequences, plain and simple, that may go beyond a fine or community service or jail or anything else. I bet you $20 that he would have to legally disclose this conviction on any job application for the next ten years and people won't hire him because of that. The school district has an obligation to set a good example for students and therefore, they created this rule. If you don't like the consequences, you shouldn't have done the crime in the first place.

And what about the other students whose dates PASSED a background check? They all probably spent $500 too. Seems a little unfair that they would have to go through that only to have the school district bend the rules for some whiny mother.

 

[BVS]

So by that token, we shouldn't have a public list of sexual offenders because hey, they paid their debt to society.

If you are convicted of a crime, there are consequences, plain and simple, that may go beyond a fine or community service or jail or anything else. I bet you $20 that he would have to legally disclose this conviction on any job application for the next ten years and people won't hire him because of that. The school district has an obligation to set a good example for students and therefore, they created this rule. If you don't like the consequences, you shouldn't have done the crime in the first place.

And what about the other students whose dates PASSED a background check? They all probably spent $500 too. Seems a little unfair that they would have to go through that only to have the school district bend the rules for some whiny mother.

The rule seems unfair to begin with, this isn't a job...

I think we have to be careful about branding people with Scarlet Letters...

 

[LJT]

Come on how many 18-19 year olds out there now are in possession of marijuana and haven't been caught for it? (I'm pretty sure quite a few)

We do stupid things, when we are that age (which I am)....how many of them have illegally drank, how many have stolen some sweets from a pick n mix when they were 6...

You just might as well cancel the whole damn prom, because most of the people going have probably done something stupid they haven't been caught for.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

They said on the news that the Mass Department of Education thinks the school may be out of line. They briefly showed a form that every student who plans to attend the prom has to sign, it looked like it said that the school reserves the right to refuse an attendee- but it said nothing about CORI checks. I don't know what the law is in MA regarding CORI checks and who can do them and for what reason, how the information can be used, disclosure, etc. The school is "reviewing" the policy, probably because of the media attention and fear of possible legal problems. My guess is that the school will abolish the policy.

The school might have good intentions but they can't break the law.

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Students who want to bring non-students to prom at the school I work at must have them approved. I'll ask tomorrow if that includes a background check.

I'm not opposed to it. I guess all teachers must hate students as well.

 

[financeguy]

I'm off to boil a frog.

 

[Dreadsox]

Like I've said, it has to be a prerequisite that you must hate children to be a school administrator. I'm very glad I'm out of high school.

Melon

Take it easy there.

 

[melon]

Take it easy there.

I know. I consider you to be an exception to the rule.

Melon

 

[redkat]

Students who want to bring non-students to prom at the school I work at must have them approved. I'll ask tomorrow if that includes a background check.

That's how it was in my high school. Not sure if they did a background check but they WERE looking for trouble makers. Seemed reasonable then

 

[Dreadsox]

AS for CORI checks.....

Every and any ADULT that volunteers or works in a school is CORI checked. I just filled out my paperwork today for my annual review.

My understanding is that if there is anyone who is going to have any chance at one on one contact with children there has to be a CORI check.

As an administrator....

I have an issue with the handling of this. Administrators are not allowed to make policy. The Legally Binding Document is the school handbook, which is approved not by Administraotrs, but by the school committee...the elected body of the community. That is where I question the legality of this.

However, I deal mostly with Elementary aged children...who I LIKE tremendously. I guess you can do your job and like children.

I am wondering if there have been problems in the past at Dennis-Yarmouth with prom issues and people not from the school. I am not hearing that children with records are having issue, just people who are not students are being banned. I question if they have any legal rights to be there at all. I also question if the School Committee has ANY say over the jurisdiction of NON STUDENT attendies to the prom.

Interesting case. personally, I would ban them....because I clearly Hate children.

 

[indra]

I guess all teachers must hate students as well.

I was always pretty sure of that.

 

[Dreadsox]

I know. I consider you to be an exception to the rule.

Melon

Funny story....

My office got broken into and almost all of my Red Sox memorobelia was stolen.....back in January. I should not say broken into,,,,,I NEVER LOCKED the office....silly me thought who would want to go in my office.

Anyways....last week...someone approached me and let me know it was not me they were out to get. It was high school kids who thought it was the old VP who treated them poorly. He happened to be a sox fan too.

My stuff is suddenly reappearing....lol....because they realized they got the wrong guy. The really NICE thing about it all is that students have been giving me new Red Sox stuff to replace it as word has cirulated to the community about it.

I received a card from a student last week, who said she was so happy I had come to this school. She was mad that my things were stolen so she gave me a Sox Pennant.


The problem with education is that everyone remembers the BAD administrators or teachers. And EVERYONE knows at least one bad teacher. Its the teachers who are stready and do the little things day in and day out that are forgotten. That is a shame.