Lawmakers today listened to debate on whether or not a felony conviction should become a life-long sentence—when it comes to being employed by a public school–before deciding to go with the status quo, which means leaving it at the discretion of the schools.
Bill sponsor Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, told members of the House Judiciary Committe that schools are no place for felons–even if the felony was committed years ago–and that they should be barred from employment in schools. The safety of children is his primary concern, McNulty said.
“School should be a place where kids feel comfortable and welcome to come,” McNulty said. “Having a safe environment is essential for the learning process to take place. We need to make certain those individuals interacting with our children on a daily basis are not violent felons.”
The committee killed the bill on a party-line vote, with majority Democrats opposing McNulty’s proposal and the committee’s four Republicans supporting it.
McNulty’s proposal, House Bill 1082, would have barred schools from employing those who have been convicted of crimes including child abuse, unlawful sexual behavior, domestic violence and indecent exposure. Employment of licensed teachers convicted of felony drug charges would also be prohibited. Current practice varies from district to district. McNulty told committee members it matters whom the kids are exposed to even if it’s outside the classroom, such as as school’s janitorial, maintenance and kitchen workers.
“Our students learn in and outside of the classroom when they go to school and need to be surrounded by adults who exercise good judgment,” McNulty said.
Carol Peeples of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, a re-entry coordinator for prisoners, testified against the bill saying it is too broad in its scope—with a flat-out ban on felons. She believes that felons should be afforded equal opportunities for employment whenever possible and that discrimination against felons can be detrimental to society as a whole.
“When you look at laws that close doors of employment, you have to step back and look at incarceration rates and other disparities such as race,” said Peeples. “For good public policy, we need to start opening up employment doors so that employers can hire people on a case-by-case basis.”
High school principal Lisle Gates told the committee he is not willing to take the risk of hiring a convicted felon, and he said his concerns are for the kids and not for whether or not a convicted felon has a job.
“I need to do what I can to assure kids and parents that they are safe in my school,” said Gates.
The Colorado Education Association, the state’s largest teacher union, opposed the bill, saying it unfairly targets those employees who have rehabilitated their lives and reduces the pool of qualified applicants unnecessarily.
McNulty said safety should be the top concern.
“I can’t believe that the unions would be opposed to safety in schools,” said McNulty
Seriously? Carol Peeples, you are evil. Evil, plain and simple. Convicted felons working in our schools? Around our children? There is not a drop of sense in this. I am sickened.
Stacy…really? Carol is not evil, but you are an idiot and a moron…sorry if that’s redundant. People have the right to rehabilitate their lives. Prison is the punishment, it should not follow them forever. 1 in 31 people in this country are on probation, parole or in prison. That means you cross paths with those “felons” every day and probably don’t even know it.
You need to really educate yourself on the nightmare correctional system. If people can’t work, they can’t survive, if they can’t survive on the outside they will go back to prison. If you want it on your dime then you pay for it.
@ Stacy… You my friend are ignorant, plain and simple. A lot of felons were convicted as kids or first time adult petty offenses & move on to bigger and better things as many years pass. Those select people who actually changed there life around should not be held against a conviction or a record that was so long ago. Now of course im all for keeping people away who were convected of sexual and violent crimes or is a habitual criminal. Example: If someone was 17 and convicted as an adult for doing stupid things and making a bad choice… come on, its time to move on. SHEESH!
It is very troubling to me when I hear the things that people say to each other and the way in general people are being treated by each other iin our counrty.I am only left with these words WE are all human WE all make mistake or bad chioces in life. With that being said even though its not publizied there is a nation wide ban on felons basically dividing our country OPEN your eyes America as a society and contry in whole “divide and concore” if this continues we will I repeat we will self destruct. You can only opress someone for so long before enough becomes enough. People from other countries look at our country as a land of opportunity a fresh start for some why cant we offer the same to our own rehabilited people. Im not saying hire a sexual predator to teach our kids common sense but not all felons(people/american dont forget)have thse kind of charges. I commend the union for there stand against this bold form discrimination. Wake up we are only hurt ourselves by continuing to divide our society.