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  • Sex offender in our schools

    How is it possible that a convicted sex offender(w/ a minor) would even get pass a background check to work in one of Hawaii's public schools? Well... it happened in Puna at Pahoa High. This woman is working as a teacher's aide and the DOE let's the Principal make the final call on hiring. According to an article I read in this pass Sunday's(5/22) Tribune Hearld, a DOE spokesperson Sandra Goya said there is no state law that prevents hiring sex offenders , even against a minor, at our schools. If that's the case, why even do a backgroud check? Maybe to fine out if they owe money and are a financal risk! Something is wrong in Paradise.
    Listen to KEITH AND THE GIRLsigpic

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  • #2
    Re: Sex offender in our schools

    Whaaaaattt? Blank, blank, stupid blank. Sex offenders hired in our schools? Leave it to our Legislators....those ding bats.
    Be AKAMAI ~ KOKUA Hawai`i!
    Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

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    • #3
      Re: Sex offender in our schools

      Doing a background check is up to the hiring board of that organization. It's up to their descretion to follow up on a new hire. And even so does having your name on these registers automatically disqualify you from employment or is it just a black mark for reasons to hire someone else?

      I'm speaking as a Devil's Advocate here but to me it seems that if you did the time and took the punishment why should you continued to be punished by employment denials.

      In child rearing if you told your child, "no Nintendo for a week because you broke the house rules" and then after a week you continued to restrict the child even after the child learned his lesson and was a good boy, what kind of message are you sending to that child? That despite taking the punishment you will be screwed after the fact?

      So to a sex offender if convicted once and realizing that no matter how reformed he becomes he will still be punished for the rest of his life for his past, do you think he'll even try to be a better person? Where's the incentive to try if you will have to live the rest of your life with this disgrace of a scarlet letter burned into your life for all to see.

      Even Murderers don't get put on an indefinate public list like that. There has to be some finite to a person's indictment or else you may as well lock em up for life.

      For as good as this sex-offender register is, I feel it can be of more harm to those who redeemed their lives yet must face the denials and retributions from what that list contains and who can see it.
      Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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      • #4
        Re: Sex offender in our schools

        It's not that they're not forgiven ...but I don't think they should be working around our kids. Would you hired a ex bank robber to be a bank teller or cashier? Of course not.

        These crimes had innocent victims who didn't ask to be hurt....The BIG difference is that the DOE made a mistake.
        Last edited by alohabear; May 24, 2005, 12:58 PM.
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        • #5
          Re: Sex offender in our schools

          this is ridiculous, he's lucky to be out and about but should not be working at a school. call it one strike if you want! or was the ACLU involved in the hiring decision or something.
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          • #6
            Re: Sex offender in our schools

            regardless of being forgiven or not, if you served your just punishment and you're set free, you should be just that, free and not hindered by futher persecution from the law for which you served your time under.

            That's fair and the balance beam that Lady Liberty carries and the blindfold around her eyes reminds us that the laws do not favor one over another. People make mistakes in their lives. Hopefully we learn from them by becoming better citizens. If incarceration brings about a better person once released then that person deserves another chance at life. It's called Redemption and everyone deserves at least one shot at it less be condemned to Hell.

            It's easy to judge without understanding, it's harder to show compassion and forgiveness, but in life the greatest rewards come from our efforts. Redemption is humanity's greatest reward for it is done out of humility.

            Jesus forgave his crucifiers, Bill Clinton pardoned a few undesirables. If they can forgive, so can we for we are sinners ourselves not saints and one day it could be one of us being judged by our peers as we have judged in this thread and wouldn't it be nice to know that there is still a redeeming quality amongst all of us who hide some kind of societal misgivings?

            We're not perfect and the first person who says they are...I forgive you too unless you're God Almighty.
            Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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            • #7
              Re: Sex offender in our schools

              From the on-line edition of the Honolulu Advertiser:

              One of the employees was convicted in 1962 of second-degree rape of a minor, according to the state's sex-offender database. The other employee was convicted in 1994 of second-degree sexual assault of an adult, according to the database, which was put on the Internet this month.
              Assuming that the Advertiser got their facts straight and the first person in this report is the same person that alohabear is concerned about then this thing is really blown out of proporation. 1962? That's over 40 years ago and if this person hasn't committed any more similar crimes since then, then this person shouldn't suffer job loss because of this.

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              • #8
                Re: Sex offender in our schools

                Originally posted by helen
                From the on-line edition of the Honolulu Advertiser:


                Assuming that the Advertiser got their facts straight and the first person in this report is the same person that alohabear is concerned about then this thing is really blown out of proporation. 1962? That's over 40 years ago and if this person hasn't committed any more similar crimes since then, then this person shouldn't suffer job loss because of this.

                According to the public record the second-degree sexual assault took place on O'ahu in 1994.
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                • #9
                  Re: Sex offender in our schools

                  I thought these two paragraphs were interesting:
                  The department was aware that the employees were sex offenders, and had followed the proper review procedures before determining that they should be hired, she said.
                  Which makes sense. Yet, a little later:
                  On Friday, the DOE sent letters to parents across the state to advise them that the database is available. The letters ask parents to inform the DOE of any school employees who are listed as sex offenders, or who have recent criminal convictions.
                  So do they know their employees' backgrounds, or not? If they do, why ask the public to do the sleuthing for them?

                  I'm all for the free access to this information, and know quite well the blindspots you'll find all over a large system like a state government. But the downside of this public database, sadly, will be witch hunts and knee-jerk reactions. Ah well.

                  Interestingly, the Star-Bulletin story notes that the employee with the 1994 record is a female.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Sex offender in our schools

                    Originally posted by alohabear
                    It's not that they're not forgiven ...but I don't think they should be working around our kids. Would you hired a ex bank robber to be a bank teller or cashier? Of course not.
                    This is what I was thinking after reading the original post, so thanks for verbalizing my sentiments. I'm mostly on the side of letting people alone once they've paid their debt, but yes, I also believe that if you've committed a violent crime against a child, you've lost the privilege of ever working closely with children again.

                    I don't know if outrage is the most reasonable response here without having heard the full story. I also don't think the amount of time that's passed since the conviction has any bearing whatsoever.
                    But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
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                    • #11
                      Re: Sex offender in our schools

                      there's been very sensational discoverings of child molestations by trusted and respected people that's been going on unreported for decades. do you put an alcoholic behind the bar, an addict in the phamarcy, give a thief the combo to the vault? I'm not outraged on this but think the hiring decision goes counter to basic common sense. convicted, did the time, supposedly rehab'd, now free, fine. but not given free reign like that. child molester now a teacher. like, tilt! then again we have (hopefully) former hackers who are computer security specialists, etc.
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                      • #12
                        Re: Sex offender in our schools

                        we really don't know just how violent the rape in question was do we? Rape can be as subtle as sex without consent or full on near death experience.

                        Whatever the case may be the sentence was just and the man was released after serving his full time of incarceration. This list furthers his sentence and I don't believe at the time of entering a guilty plea he was told that in some time in the future his name would be published as a sex offender after serving his time.

                        I'm sure the defense attorney representing him would have fought the case to remove that action from the verdict to get a guilty plea. All parties agreed to the terms of a conviction if he plead guilty. That's plea bargaining and I hardly believe in 1962 there was any wording that would have put his name on a registery that would succeed his incarceration.

                        I honestly feel there is a problem and one day someone like this janitor will have a lawsuit in hand for damages incurred because of this list. He didn't agree to this stipulation at the time of his indictment. This is changing the rules of the game after the fact. This is not how our judiciary system works.

                        In my heart I feel there is something wrong here and innocent people will be victims of this list. A few good people that have earned their place back in society will once again be punished and their lives will once again be turned upside down.
                        Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Sex offender in our schools

                          Originally posted by craigwatanabe
                          we really don't know just how violent the rape in question was do we? Rape can be as subtle as sex without consent or full on near death experience.
                          In the case of sex crimes against a minor, the degree of violence is irrelevant. Even if the minor begged, pleaded, offered money, and did all the work, the adult has done violence to the child. I'm not a black-and-white kind of guy in general, but on this issue, there has to be a line.

                          Whatever the case may be the sentence was just and the man was released after serving his full time of incarceration.

                          I honestly feel there is a problem and one day someone like this janitor will have a lawsuit in hand for damages incurred because of this list. He didn't agree to this stipulation at the time of his indictment. This is changing the rules of the game after the fact. This is not how our judiciary system works.
                          I'll go along with that, but even if the general public had no right to easy access to the information, schools would have that right, yes? And this school's leadership evaluated the information and felt the hiring was justified. If it has any guts, it will stand by its decision and stand up to the complaining public. If a school administrator can be convinced that this man belongs at the school, so could everyone else.

                          In my heart I feel there is something wrong here and innocent people will be victims of this list. A few good people that have earned their place back in society will once again be punished and their lives will once again be turned upside down.
                          Hang on now. I'm with you on the "in my heart I feel there is something wrong here," but I also believe that the public record needs to remain the public record, and that people who work with children need to be held to higher scrutiny than, say, people who trim trees. I also think describing convicted sex-felons who've paid their debt as "innocent people" is going too far. Once your innocence is gone, it's gone. They may very well be "good people" and they may have "earned their way back into society," but it takes a very, very, very long stretch of the imagination to claim they are innocent. This custodian may have lived an exemplary life for the past thirty years, but no way in hell is he innocent unless the child upon whom he committed his crime can somehow have it undone.
                          Last edited by scrivener; May 25, 2005, 09:27 PM.
                          But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                          GrouchyTeacher.com

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                          • #14
                            Re: Sex offender in our schools

                            Yes he's guilty of the crime committed years ago, however further retribution after serving his sentence makes him a victim of that list.

                            One thing I didn't know about this register is that sexual offenses that garner publication are limited to victim abuse under the age of 14-years. An 18-year old having sex with a 13-year old may be too far in age for a reasonable excuse for a relationship.

                            I totally agree that an adult committing a sexual crime against a minor should be punished to the point where after incarceration their names should be published for future reference.

                            What I'm concerned is for those who plea-bargained, went to jail but didn't agree to a later stipulation that was never brought to the table at the time of entering a plea.

                            It's like being told to wash a car for $20 and after sweating to complete the job, you're told wash 10 more before you get your money. That's where I have a problem with this list.

                            You watch, somewhere somebody on that list will sue for damages, the State of Hawaii has a record of screwing up on legal issues in the past and I can see this public list doing just that.

                            Regarding the public release of these names, I do feel that there should be tighter restrictions on just who can see this information. It should be available however those individuals who feel compelled to view it should have to register in order to see those names. I know there are laws to protect the misuse of this list, however human nature will allow anyone to see it, recognize a name and become biased against that person for anything both parties can engage in.

                            This list should be available on a "Need to Know" basis only.

                            As far as never being innocent again, I feel a person can be redeemed and return to innocence, forgiveness means just that to forgive or pardon the past and build a better life for all those involved for the future.

                            If we condemn the world for it's sins, there is no aspect of an innocent future anymore. Jesus forgave us for our sins to allow us to enter the gates of Heaven even after we committed sins against God.

                            This list condemns all of those on it to a lifetime of Hell on Earth, something Jesus would never agree to, and it something we should also consider before we damn ourselves by making these kinds of judgement calls, for one day it could be either one of us facing our maker and being asked: Do you consider yourself worthy of entering the home of our Lord? A child molester may not get that chance but so may either one of us for judging another to condemnation.

                            Ask yourself: If it were me that committed a crime against humanity and I learned my lesson and served my time, how would I feel knowing that my life I rebuilt will come crashing down and I cannot rebuild again.

                            Where's the incentive to try? Where's the incentive to live knowing the rest of your life, the lessons you learned, all meant nothing and that you may as well return to that life of crime for society has damned you again and this time there is no redemption.

                            Ask yourself those questions because one day it could be you thru some misunderstanding on your part.

                            This is why I give openly to homeless people wanting a few dollars because one day it could be me asking some self-righteous person for a buck when my luck falls and I can only hope society will have mercy on me when I had mercy on those less fortunate than I.
                            Last edited by craigwatanabe; May 26, 2005, 10:37 AM.
                            Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Sex offender in our schools

                              Originally posted by craigwatanabe
                              Yes he's guilty of the crime committed years ago,
                              This list condemns all of those on it to a lifetime of Hell on Earth, something Jesus would never agree to, and it something we should also consider before we damn ourselves by making these kinds of judgement calls, for one day it could be either one of us facing our maker and being asked: Do you consider yourself worthy of entering the home of our Lord? A child molester may not get that chance but so may either one of us for judging another to condemnation.
                              You make a great point about Jesus forgiving our sins...but even priests in the Eyes of the church who commit these type of crimes against children are never allowed to work with children after they are forgiven.
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