Policy Information | |
Series Regulations - Regulations | |
FINGERPRINTING OF PROSPECTIVE SCHOOL EMPLOYEES Policy # 6170R |
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District's Responsibilities under the Fingerprinting Law
Unless otherwise authorized in accordance with law and regulation, the District shall not employ or utilize the prospective school employee, as defined below, unless such prospective employee has been granted a "full" clearance for employment by the State Education Department (SED). All prospective school employees who are not in the SED criminal history file shall be fingerprinted for purposes of a criminal history record check by authorized personnel of the designated fingerprinting entity. A "criminal history record" shall mean a record of all convictions of crimes and any pending criminal charges maintained on an individual by the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and the Federal Bureau oflnvestigation (FBI).
1) Prior to initiating the fingerprinting process, the District shall:
a. Provide prospective employees with a form, developed and supplied by the Commissioner of Education. This form will, among other things, inform the prospective school employee of the criminal record check procedures and applicable fees, the employee's right to withdraw his/her application without prejudice at any time before employment is offered or declined, the right of the prospective employee to obtain, review and seek correction of his/her criminal history information, and the right to submit information directly to the Commissioner in relation to the individual's good conduct and rehabilitation. Forms are available on the State Education Department website.
b. Obtain the signed, informed consent for each prospective employee to perform the criminal history check.
2) Where the prospective school employee is already in the SED criminal history file, the District shall request clearance for employment on a form or in an equivalent manner as prescribed by SED. No fees shall be payable to SED for such request for clearance.
3) The District shall provide the Commissioner with the name and position held by all employees upon commencement and termination of employment.
Who Must Be Fingerprinted
All "prospective school employees" of the Marcus Whitman Central School District must be fingerprinted. For purposes of this regulation and the applicable provisions in law and Commissioner's Regulations, "prospective school employee" shall mean any individual who will reasonably be expected by the School District to provide services which involve direct contact, meaning in person, face-to-face communication or interaction, with students under the age of twenty-one (21) and who is either:
1) Seeking a compensated position with the District and is not currently employed by the District or a student enrolled in the instructional program of a grade level in the School District; or
2) An employee of a provider of contracted services to the Marcus Whitman Central School
District who is to be placed within the District; or
3) A worker who is to be placed within the District under a public assistance employment program pursuant to Title 9-B of Article 5 of the Social Services Law, directly or through contract; or
4) Any individual who is employed by or associated with a supplemental educational services provider and who will provide supplemental educational services through direct contact with eligible children, regardless of the location in which such services are delivered.
Individuals Who Are Specifically Excluded
Individuals excluded from a criminal history record check/fingerprinting pursuant to this provision of law and regulation are those individuals who:
1) Are seeking a position as a school bus driver or school bus attendant and are cleared for employment pursuant to the Vehicle and Traffic Law; or
2) Have continuously provided services to the District since prior to July 1, 2001 either in a compensated position, or as an employee of a provider of contracted services to the District, or as a worker placed within the Marcus Whitman Central School District under a public assistance employment program pursuant to Title 9-B of Article 5 of the Social Services Law directly or through contract; or
3) Will reasonably be expected by the Marcus Whitman Central School District to provide services for the District on no more than five (5) days in the school year in which services are to be performed, provided that the District provides in-person supervision of such individual by one (1) or more employees of the District while that individual is providing such services. Individuals providing such time-limited and supervised services may include but shall not be limited to artists, guest lecturers and speakers, and sports officials.
Any prospective employee who previously has been fmgerprinted in order to obtain certification and whose fingerprints remain on file with the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS),will not be required to be fingerprinted again for purposes of a criminal history record check.Who Must Perform the Fingerprinting
Although the District is responsible for securing the fingerprints of all prospective employees, a "designated fingerprinting entity" means one of the following types of entities: school districts,boards of cooperative educational services, charter schools, state and local criminal justice agencies, institutions of higher education, and other entities as designated by SED.
Fees for Fingerprinting
Both DCJS and the FBI impose a processing fee. The fees for the criminal history record search shall be an amount equal to the fees established, pursuant to law, by DCJS and the FBI for processing the criminal history information request. In addition, the entity that actually takes the fingerprints may impose a fee. The fees shall be payable to SED and paid by money order or check of the District or certified check.
All prospective employees pay the fees, unless otherwise authorized by the Board of Education.
1) However, employees participating in a public assistance employment program or receiving employment services through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grants are not responsible for the ·fees. Under those circumstances, the fees are paid by the Social Services District making the employment placement or assignment.
2) On a form prescribed by the Commissioner, a prospective employee may submit to the Board of Education a request that the fees be waived. The Board is permitted to waive payment of the fees in case of unreasonable financial hardship to the applicant or his/her family. Ifthe Board decides to waive payment of the fees for the prospective employee, payment of the fees becomes the District's responsibility.
Responsibilities of State Education Department
1) Upon receipt of fingerprints from a prospective employee (via the School District), SED shall submit the fingerprints of prospective employees in the District to DCJS and the FBI for criminal history background checks.
2) Where the criminal history record check reveals no criminal record, SED shall issue a clearance for employment to the District, and shall notify the prospective school employee of such clearance for employment.
3) Where the criminal history record check reveals that the prospective school employee was convicted of a crime or has a pending criminal charge, SED shall review such record and apply the standards for granting or denial of a license or employment application set forth in Correction Law Section 752 and shall consider the factors specified in Correction Law Section 753. Article
23-A of the Correction Law prohibits denying a license or employment to a convicted offender or from a finding that an applicant lacks "good moral character" when a finding is based on a criminal conviction, unless:
a. There is a direct relationship between the criminal offense(s) and the license/employment sought; or
b. Granting the license/employment sought would involve an unreasonable risk to property or to the safety or welfare of specific individuals or the general public.
A certificate of relief from disabilities or a certificate of good conduct issued to the individual creates a presumption of rehabilitation regarding the offense(s) specified in the certificate.
4) The criminal history reports are also subject to Executive Law Section 296(16), which prohibits discrimination in licensing or employment based upon any arrest or criminal accusation no longer pending which was terminated in favor of an individual.
5) If, after such review, SED determines that clearance for employment shall be granted, the department shall "promptly" issue such clearance for employment to the Marcus Whitman Central School District.
6) If, after such review, SED determines that a prospective school employee's criminal history record demonstrates a basis to deny clearance for employment, SED will issue a notice to the prospective school employee as mandated pursuant to Commissioner's Regulations. The notification will also inform the prospective school employee that he/she has a right to submit a response to SED indicating why clearance for employment should be granted and the appeal process to be followed. Additional procedures to be followed by SED in determining clearance for employment will be as enumerated in Commissioner's Regulations.
Appeal Rights
A prospective employee may appeal a denial of clearance for employment by SED, based upon the review of his/her criminal record, by directing such appeal to the Executive Coordinator of the SED's Office of Teaching. The record review process will be in accordance with Commissioner's Regulations.
Confidentiality of Reports
All criminal history records processed by DCJS and the FBI and sent to the Commissioner of Education are confidential. The records may not be published or in any way disclosed to persons other than the Commissioner unless otherwise authorized by law.
Refusal to Consent to Fingerprinting
If a prospective employee refuses to consent to be fingerprinted, the District cannot employ the prospective employee.
Conditional Appointments
Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools,the Board of Education may conditionally appoint a prospective employee.
1) A request for conditional clearance shall be forwarded by the District to SED along with the prospective employee's fingerprints as mandated pursuant to law.
2) SED sends fingerprints to DCJS (criminal history record check is estimated to be completed within two to four (2-4) days).
3) Prior to the commencement of such conditional appointment, the prospective employee must sign a statement indicating whether, to the best of his/her knowledge, he/she has a pending criminal charge or criminal conviction in any jurisdiction outside the state.
4) Such conditional appointment shall not commence until notification by the Commissioner that the prospective employee has been conditionally cleared for employment; and such conditional appointment will terminate when the Marcus Whitman Central School District is notified of the determination by the Commissioner to grant or deny full clearance.
5) If full clearance is granted, the appointment shall continue and the conditional status shall be removed.
6) If the Commissioner determines that more time is necessary for SED to make a clearance determination, the notification provided to the prospective employee and the School District shall include a "good faith estimate" of the amount of additional time needed.
7) SED shall notify the prospective employee and the Marcus Whitman Central School District after receipt of a prospective employee's fingerprints and request for a determination on conditional clearance.
Emergency Conditional Appointments
Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, the Board may make an emergency conditional appointment when an unforeseen emergency vacancy has occurred.
1) Anunforeseenemergency vacancy shall be defined as:
a. A vacancy that occurred less than ten (10) business days before the start of any school session including summer school,or during any school session including summer school, without sufficient notice to allow for clearance or conditional clearance (however, this ten (10) business day time frame provision shall not apply if the Board finds that the District has been unable to fill the vacancy despite good faith efforts to fill the vacancy in a manner that would have allowed sufficient time for full clearance or conditional clearance); and
b. When no other qualified person is available to fill the vacancy temporarily; and
c. When the emergency conditional appointment is necessary to maintain services which the District is legally required to provide or services necessary to protect the health, education or safety of students or staff.
2) When such an emergency conditional appointment is made, the process for conditional appointment as enumerated above must also be initiated.
3) Prior to the commencement of such emergency conditional appointment, the prospective employee must sign a statement indicating whether, to the best of his/her knowledge, he/she has a pending criminal charge or criminal conviction in any jurisdiction.
4) The District must send the request for conditional appointment to SED, along with the prospective employee's fingerprints as mandated pursuant to law, for a criminal history record check by DCJS. However, employment pursuant to an emergency conditional appointment may start before SED notifies the District regarding conditional clearance.
5) Emergency conditional appointment shall terminate twenty (20) business days from the date such appointment commences or when the District is notified by the Commissioner that conditional clearance is either granted or denied, whichever occurs earlier.
6) If conditional clearance is granted, the appointment shall continue as a conditional appointment.
Safety of Students
Consistent with the District policy for the safety of the children who have contact with an employee holding conditional appointment or emergency conditional appointment, internal building and/or program procedures will be followed to ensure student safety in the classroom, while attending off-campus activities under the supervision of the Marcus Whitman Central School District and while participating in extracurricular and/or co-curricular activities(including sports and athletic activities).
The immediate supervisor or Building Principal shall, upon the commencement of the staff member's employment, meet with the staff member to review safety considerations and expectations for any contact such staff member will have with students. The Superintendent or designee shall promptly notify the immediate supervisor or Building Principal of any changes in the employee's appointment status, including receipt of clearance for employment.
"Sunset" Provision for Conditional Appointments/Emergency Conditional Appointments
The provisions in law which permit the conditional appointment and/or emergency conditional appointment of employees pending full clearance from SED shall terminate, in accordance with legislation, on July 1, 2013; and shall be rescinded as Board policy and procedure as of that date (unless subsequent revisions to applicable law provide otherwise).
Regulations - Regulations |