Mass. school employees to be fingerprinted for national background checks

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Massachusetts schools are now reportedly fingerprinting every staff member who comes into contact with students.

According to the Boston Globe, those fingerprints are sent to the FBI. The bureau then runs them through a national database.

Officials tell the newspaper it allows schools to receive criminal histories from places outside of the Commonwealth, giving them a grater chance to pinpoint a staff member with a criminal past.

The American Federation of Teachers is pushing for legislation requiring school districts to pay for this. Right now, staff members are required to pay a $55 processing fee.

The Globe reports Massachusetts is the last state in the nation to implement a fingerprint background check system. Until now, local districts only had access to criminal records in the state.

To read more: bostonglobe.com

Cox Media Group