Keeping Criminals Out of School Employment

State Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, today will present his proposal, House Bill 1324, that would prevent the employment of non-licensed persons, such as youth sport coaches, and with certain enumerated criminal offenses to be employed in public and district school systems.

“This would ensure further safety of our children when they are participating in extracurricular activities,” McNulty stated. “It is a mandatory disqualification for licensed educator’s who have been convicted to be employed, shouldn’t the same requirements be applied to the people coaching our children’s sports teams."

Most recently a local sports coach was arrested for the possession, cultivation and distribution of marijuana. School official’s were aware of the prior offenses but could hire the man due to current law that says teaching licenses are only declined to felons whose crimes are violent, sexual or dishonest in nature, drug and other charges do not apply, this also does not apply to hiring to non-teaching positions. House Bill 1324 would mandate these requirements.

“State law ought not to allow school districts to hire convicted felons to positions where they are in constant contact with kids,” McNulty says. “At the very least, the law needs to be broadened to include felony drug crimes. Greeley West High has fired Arnold Martinez, and they maintain that hiring felony applicants is extremely rare, and is “not typical” for the district to hire someone with a felony conviction.”