5410

In accordance with RI Gen. Laws § 16-2-18.1 (Criminal Records Review), all persons seeking employment with the school department, who have not previously been employed by a private school or public school department in Rhode Island during the previous twelve (12) months, shall undergo a criminal background check to be initiated prior to or within one week of employment after receiving a conditional offer of employment. All offers of employment and/or appointments are null and void if a background check has disqualifying information

An employee against whom disqualifying information has been found may request that a copy of the criminal background report be sent to the school department and the superintendent shall make a judgment regarding the continued employment of the employee.

In those situations in which no disqualifying information has been found, the Bureau of Criminal Identification or the South Kingstown police department shall inform the applicant and the school department, in writing, of this fact. All employment offers are conditional upon the receipt of a criminal background check clear of disqualifying information.

"Disqualifying information" shall mean those offenses listed in RI Gen. Laws § 23-17-37 (Disqualifying Information), and those offenses listed in §§ 11-37-8.1 (Definition of Guilt of First Degree Child Molestation Sexual Assault) and 11-37-8.3 (Definition of Guilt of Second Degree Child Molestation Sexual Assault).

The district shall maintain on file, subject to inspection by the Department of Education, evidence that criminal records checks have been initiated on all employees seeking employment subsequent to August 1, 2001, and the results of the checks. The records check shall be provided to the applicant for employment without charge.

In accordance with RI Gen.§ 16-2-18.2 (Prior Criminal Records Checks), if an applicant for employment has undergone a criminal records check within twelve (12) months prior to an application for employment, the Superintendent may request from the Bureau of Criminal Identification a letter indicating the presence or absence of disqualifying information.