Apr 1, 2007 - The News Journal, comparing databases of public employees and criminal records in N.J. discovered more than 1,800 felony offenders are on the public payrolls, from public works employees to teachers to corrections officers.
A criminal record doesn't bar necesarilly employment.
And even for teachers, the state Department of Education doesn't routinely run criminal background checks after they are hired.Nine employees of the state's child protection agency were found to have apparent criminal records that included theft and drug possession.
Gannett found six educators who were apparently convicted of serious offenses after entering the school system, including a drug offender and an assistant principal caught carrying a gun. Five other teachers committed offenses before becoming teachers, but were hired by schools anyway.
Statewide, they found 11 school employees with criminal records that may prohibit them from working in schools. The 11 identified by the newspaper as having potentially disqualifying records include eight teachers, an assistant principal and one employee whose duties are unclear. All were employed in the school system in 2006.
Of the 11, five committed crimes prior to being hired and apparently after mandatory background checks.
