Background Checks don't chew gum

BRIDGEPORT, OH -- Teachers in the Bridgeport School District are now on week four of their teacher strike.

Monday, Bridgeport community leaders confronted the Bridgeport School District's superintendent, demanding background checks of security guards working outside the school buildings.

Since the start of the strike, security guards from the Michigan firm Huffmaster have been guarding the school property. Police say they've been getting complaints that guards are speaking offensively and making obscene gestures to students and striking teachers.

That's why Bridgeport Police Chief Steve Studenc and Mayor John Callarik say they've been asking for the guards' background checks since the beginning of the strike, and that's why they demanded the paperwork from Superintendent Mark Matz Monday morning.

"We can't wait until something happens, we have to do something about it now," said Callarik.

"It is continuing with the parents calling and complaining about offensive gestures, the taunting involving the children," said Studenc. "I just want to put an end to it."

The chief asked that local officers be put on guard duty if the background checks could not be produced.

Superintendent Mark Matz says the background checks were not on file in their office because the guards do not have any interaction with the students. He says their only assignment it to protect the property, but he told police that the guards have been cleared.

"We've been assured and we signed a contract with this company saying these are reputable security guards and background checks have been done," Matz said.

By Monday afternoon, Huffmaster did provide those background checks to the police department. According to the police chief, the backgrounds of the guards are clean, and he has been assured by the company that any of these alleged problems with the guards will stop immediately.

The district and its teachers will resume negotiations on Tuesday.

Jill Del Greco, NEWS9

That's interesting, so superintendant Mark Matz believes the security guards have "no interaction" with the kids in the school they are protecting. While it is true that security guards are assigned to protect property, it is also true that our children spend their days inside the schools and must walk past the security guards on their way home. Matz' comments are insensitive and border on incompetence. Perhaps someone needs to ask if Matz background check is on file. I wonder if his background check is missing, just like the FEMA director's.

One company, Corra Group, can screen job applicant backgrounds quickly and easily. They can run a nationwide criminal database search and couple this with a few county criminal records searches, as well a Retail Theft Database to determine any shoplifting. Also important is a Motor Vehicle Records search, which will uncover Drunk driving and DUI charges.