Bill to Require Camps in Ohio to run Background Checks
A new bill in Ohio, Senate Bill 321, calls for criminal background checks on all staff members of camps, FBI checks if the staffer has not lived in Ohio over the past five years and Social Security Number verification on all volunteers.
Up until now, background checks have only been required of day camps, but if this bill passes, all types of camps would be required to run the checks.
The bill stems from an incident last year in which a camp volunteer, Timothy Keil, was caught sexually molesting a child inside a cabin at Perry County Youth Camp. This revealed the loophole wherein the background checks were required for day camps, but not other types of camps.
Keil was convicted and is serving time in prison, for Gross Sexual Imposition. While he professed his innocence in court, another counselor testified finding Keil lying on a bed, caressing a boy who was on top of him. Keil has also been on probation for four years in Pennsylvania due to misdemeanor charges of indecent assault and corruption of a minor.
Helen Jones-Kelley, director of Ohio Department of Job and Family services, said they are working on this issue, "We're just kind of taking on a more positive, proactive kind of role so that we can get out of there and make sure children are safe." Her department is teaming up with health inspectors in order to notify camp directors about the required background checks.
Up until now, background checks have only been required of day camps, but if this bill passes, all types of camps would be required to run the checks.
The bill stems from an incident last year in which a camp volunteer, Timothy Keil, was caught sexually molesting a child inside a cabin at Perry County Youth Camp. This revealed the loophole wherein the background checks were required for day camps, but not other types of camps.
Keil was convicted and is serving time in prison, for Gross Sexual Imposition. While he professed his innocence in court, another counselor testified finding Keil lying on a bed, caressing a boy who was on top of him. Keil has also been on probation for four years in Pennsylvania due to misdemeanor charges of indecent assault and corruption of a minor.
Helen Jones-Kelley, director of Ohio Department of Job and Family services, said they are working on this issue, "We're just kind of taking on a more positive, proactive kind of role so that we can get out of there and make sure children are safe." Her department is teaming up with health inspectors in order to notify camp directors about the required background checks.
Labels: employee background checks, summer camp
posted by JenWiehl at 2:28 PM
8 Comments:
This is fair. People who work with children should all be checked for a criminal background. That kid shouldn't have been dressed so provacative though. It's called compromise.
Totally, this is great. All states should be doing this. Looks like Mr. Keil could just move states and keep on molesting at this point...
People working with children should be checked EVERY TIME. It's such a shame that things like this have to happen in order for someone to take notice. More states and agencies need to be proactive.
I agree with all the other comments! Anyone working with kids should have a background check done on them. No exceptions.
I volunteer with a non-profit org that does historical interpretive work, and background checks are all the buzz. Anyone on state park grounds having contact with weapons and/or children has to be background-checked first. I have a child now, and I'm inclined to think that it's not such a bad thing...
I think the bill should be passed for all states. You can never be to cautious when people spend long periods of unsupervised time with children. I think that you can never be to safe.
I am glad that this is becoming a more important state issue. Let's rally the states to take charge so the Federal government doesn't have to take a stand!
If my kids ever go to camp, I will make sure that the camp checks their employees, this should be a state law.
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