Flashing charge opens up can of worms
La Roche College officials decided Tuesday to require criminal background checks for job applicants.
The decision came a day after news broke that a former La Roche assistant women's soccer coach had been charged with exposing himself.
"Doing criminal background checks is something that we started looking at last year, but the situation this week accelerated that," said Ken Service, La Roche's vice president for institutional relations. "We have to work out the details, but we hope to have the checks in place by (July)."
Police, on Friday, arrested ex-coach Gary Midock, 52, of Aspinwall, on an indecent exposure charge. Ross police arrested him Oct. 11 on the same charge. He still was working at La Roche then.
Midock quit his job at La Roche after the season ended in November. La Roche officials were unaware of the Oct. 11 charge, Service said.
Several local colleges and universities require checks in at least some cases, primarily for security, financial services and child care job applicants. But few require checks for professors or coaches.
The state requires checks for faculty and staff at all K-12 schools. A similar requirement soon could be in place for colleges.
State Rep. Matthew Baker, R-Tioga, has introduced legislation that would require all colleges to check job applicants for felony convictions. The bill is in the House Judiciary Committee.
Baker said he began working on the measure after learning that Penn State University professor Paul E. Krueger had been convicted nearly 40 years ago of a triple murder in Texas. Penn State only began conducting checks on faculty after learning last year of Krueger conviction.
"I was shocked to learn they weren't already required," Baker said.
Some organizations, such as the American Association of University Professors, oppose Baker's bill because of privacy, cost and red tape issues.
"Mandating criminal background checks is an invasion of privacy," said Robert Kreiser, the association's senior program officer.
A check might not have triggered red flags on Midock. Such screens typically turn up only convictions. Midock faces preliminary hearings next month on both charges. A check of Midock by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review showed no convictions.
Midock also coached the Fox Chapel Area and Springdale high school girls soccer teams and the Pittsburgh Strikers youth soccer club. He did not coach the North Stars, of Gibsonia, as reported in yesterday's Trib, based on inaccurate information provided to the newspaper.
Additional Information:
A look at how six local colleges screen job applicants:
Community College of Allegheny County -- Background checks only for those working in child-care centers.
Chatham College -- Background checks on any employee working with students or money.
Duquesne University -- Criminal background checks on police, those working in facilities department and some computer technicians.
La Roche College -- Criminal checks for security personnel.
Point Park University -- Criminal background checks on clerical, faculty and administrative employees.
Robert Morris University -- Criminal background checks on police and selected employees who deal with financial issues.
University of Pittsburgh -- Criminal background checks on coaches, residential hall employees, financial services workers, custodians and police.
