Criminal
Background Check
Effective on
the 1st day of July, 2000, all applicants of the Columbia County
Board of Education who are selected for employment shall be fingerprinted and
have criminal record checks through the
As required
by the A Plus Education Reform Act of 2000, all
current employees of the Columbia County Board of Education must have a
criminal history background check conducted every five years. All employees
working before July 1, 2000 who have never been fingerprinted by the Columbia
County Board of Education must consent to a records check and fingerprinting
the first time the criminal history check is performed. For professional
certified employees, the criminal history background check will be conducted
during the year that the required teaching certificate issued by the
Professional Standards Commission must be renewed. For all other employees, to
include auxiliary employees, professional employees not required to hold a
teaching certificate, teachers who hold National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards teacher certification,, or teachers
who hold life certificates, a criminal history check must be conducted every
five years during the month of initial employment. For all employees who do not
hold Professional Standards Commission certificates with the standard five-year
cycle, hired prior to July 1, 1995, the criminal history check will be
conducted on the as established by the Board of Education. Thereafter,
employees holding life certificates, National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards certified teachers, and non-certified employees shall have a criminal records check conducted every five years.
The Columbia
County Sheriff’s Department will fingerprint prospective employees, and the
Board of Education shall bear the cost of the FBI fee for the record check. The
Columbia County Board of Education will authorize the issuance of a temporary
contract of employment for required certified employees not to exceed 200 days
to allow for the receipt of the results of the criminal record check. Upon
receipt of an acceptable criminal history report, the Columbia County Board of
Education will issue the standard one year contract of employment. If an
adverse employment decision is made based on the results of the criminal
history, the employee will be so notified in writing and will be afforded the right
to a public hearing before the Columbia County Board of Education. The Columbia
County Board of Education reserves the right to conduct background checks on
any employee upon receiving a written complaint signed by any complaining party
concerning any employee of the system. These written complaints shall be kept
confidential as required by law. The Columbia County Board of Education
reserves the right to check, without receiving a written complaint, if
sufficient cause is given to justify a criminal records check of any employee.
All requirements of the law dealing with criminal GCIC checks shall be met by
all employees of the system should it be deemed necessary to complete a
background check pursuant to O.C.G.A. §49-5-110, et seq.
A background
check shall include, but not limited to the following:
a)
O.C.G.A. §16-5-23 relating to simple battery when the victim is a minor;
b)
O.C.G.A. §16-5-24 relating to aggravated battery when the victim is a
minor;
c)
O.C.G.A. §16-5-70 relating to cruelty to children;
d)
O.C.G.A. §16-12-1 relating to contributing to the delinquency of a
minor;
e)
Any crime relating to Chapter 6 of Title 16 of the Official Code of
Georgia relating to sexual
offenses;
f)
Any crime relating to Chapter 13 of Title 16 of the Official Code of
Georgia relating to controlled
substances,
marijuana, dangerous drugs and alcohol;
g)
O.C.G.A. §16-5-1 relating to murder or felony;
h)
O.C.G.A. §16-4-1 relating to criminal attempt if it concerns a minor;
i) O.C.G.A §16-8-1 relating to theft;
j)
Any other offenses committed in any other jurisdiction either state or
federal which if committed
in this
state would be deemed to be one of the enumerated crimes listed herein;
k) Any
other acts which could be reasonably construed as hindering the ability of an
applicant to
supervise
children.