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November 19, 2005
EVHS parent volunteer identified as registered sex offender
By Bea Baechle
Editor
A parent volunteer from the Evergreen Valley High School band booster club has been identified as a registered sex offender on the Megan’s Law Web site.
According to EVHS Principal Tim McDonough, the individual—who was cited on one offense of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years—will no longer be allowed to volunteer with the band, but he will be able to attend the events in which his daughter is participating.
“I know of no incidents or complaints reported about this individual,” said McDonough, noting that the Megan’s Law Web site does not list a date of the offense. There have been no repeat offenses.
He said the district has a process in place for doing background checks for all volunteers of school-sponsored organizations, but since athletic and band booster clubs operate as separate 501(c)(3) organizations, schools typically don’t have any control of their budgets or members.
“I’m proposing that anyone who steps foot on our campus as a volunteer should go through a background check to ensure that we’re making every effort to provide a safe campus for our students,” said McDonough.
“This has shown us we have a gap in our process, and the gap is obviously in parent volunteers,” said Ric Abeyta, the chief safety, security and student services officer for the East Side Union High School District. He explained that all employees and contractors are already fingerprinted and go through a background check.
“We’re going to put a process in place with our principals where every parent volunteer will be checked against the Megan’s Law Web site,” he added. “If they’re on that Web site, they won’t be working with our kids. They won’t be allowed to chaperone or work behind the scenes.”
Abeyta says he will not deny registered sex offenders the right to attend events as a parent or a member of the general public.
“The end result of this is that our children will be in a safer environment,” said Abeyta.
Victoria Brown, supervising deputy district attorney of the sexual assault unit for Santa Clara County, said that every sex offense except unlawful sex with a minor stays on a person’s record forever. In other words, once you’re registered as a sex offender, you’re registered for life.
Lan Nguyen, an ESUHSD board member and an Evergreen resident, commented, “As of today, the registered sex offender will no longer be volunteering with the band. We need to be more consistent about enforcing security clearances for volunteers, parents or non-parents.”
Craig Mann, also an ESUHSD board member and an Evergreen resident, added, “While I’m aware that many registered sex offenders live in our community, I must say I was shocked to learn any were working directly with our students. Schools and extracurricular activities should be safe havens for our students to learn and thrive, not the candy store for predators. I am confident the board and administration will address this safety matter with all due diligence.”
Megan’s Law information on registered sex offenders
Since September 2004, California’s Megan’s Law has provided the public with Internet access to detailed information on registered sex offenders.
This expanded access allows you to use your personal computers to view information on sex offenders required to register with local law enforcement under California’s Megan’s Law.
For more than 50 years, California has required sex offenders to register with their local law enforcement agencies. However, information on the whereabouts of these sex offenders was not available to the public until the implementation of the Child Molester Identification Line in July 1995. California’s Megan’s Law further expanded the information available in 1996.
California’s Megan’s Law provides certain information on the whereabouts of sex offenders so you may protect yourself and your children. Megan’s Law is named after seven-year-old Megan Kanka, a New Jersey girl who was raped and killed by a known child molester who had moved across the street from the family without their knowledge.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Kankas sought to have local communities warned about sex offenders in the area. All states now have a form of Megan’s Law.
Information on the Megan’s Law Web site is intended for informational purposes only. The California Department of Justice has not considered or assessed the specific risk that any convicted sex offender displayed on this Web site will commit another offense or the nature of any future crimes that may be committed.
The site also does not specify when the offenses were committed. For more information go to the Web site: www.meganslaw.ca.gov.
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