Business, Government Legal News from throughout WVBill Would Notify Private Schools of Nearby Sex Offenders

Superintendents and campus police departments of the state's public schools and higher education institutions already receive notification when a registered sex offender moves to the area. But a bill being considered by the House Education Committee would add private schools to that list.

House Bill 4243 would amend state code to disclose sex offender registration to "public and private elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education where the registrant is employed or attends school."

While all delegates on the committee agreed that extending this information to private schools is important, many were shocked to learn that sex offenders could be employed by or attend schools. Terri Swecker, who manages the West Virginia State Police sex offender registry, said the state police cannot restrict where a sex offender works.

"We don't track that information," Swecker said. "It's my understanding that the schools do background checks on employees and that would catch any criminal offense."

Sgt. Scott Petry pointed out that any member of the public can access the department's sex offender registry. But the employment of a registered sex offender would be decided by the individual school system, not the state police.

"That's something you would have to take up with the school system," Swecker said. "We cannot restrict where an offender lives or works. Current law says there is no restriction on sex offenders and where they live or work."

Another trooper said if a school employee is charged with a sex crime and becomes a registered sex offender, the school is notified and the administrators can deal with the issue as they see fit. Petry said if any company declines to hire registered sex offenders, they have to disclose that information at the start of the hiring process.

Joe Super, superintendent of Barbour County Schools, said school officials have a duty to act on any information they receive regarding registered sex offenders.

"There are procedures that are placed in state code related to education that if there is cause for revocation for licensure, we're bound to submit that information to the state department of education," Super said. "They would act on that and we would act on that in our counties."

The committee approved the bill. It will now move to the House Judiciary Committee before being reported to the full House.