Accenture, one of the largest management consulting firms in the world, conducts background checks that discriminate against African Americans and Latinos, a class action lawsuit filed in New York federal court today alleges.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Roberto J. Arroyo, of Morristown, N.J., accuses Accenture of violating Title VII of the Civil Civil rights Act of 1964 by rejecting or firing qualified individuals who have criminal records even where the criminal history has no bearing on the individual's fitness or ability to perform the job.

According to the Complaint, "Such policies and practices are illegal because they adopt and perpetuate the racial disparities in the American criminal justice system … For decades, the Supreme Court and the EEOC have recognized that overly broad restrictions on hiring individuals with criminal records are discriminatory and illegal.

"The lawsuit alleges that Mr. Arroyo worked as a contract technical support employee for Accenture for nearly a year and a half. "I worked long hours at Accenture and I did my job well," said Mr. Arroyo. In April 2007, the complaint alleges, Accenture offered him stable employment subject only to the results of a background check. Accenture then withdrew its job offer and terminated Mr. Arroyo's employment as a contract worker after a background check revealed that he was convicted a decade earlier of vehicular homicide after driving while intoxicated.

Mr. Arroyo "deeply regrets the loss of go caused by his mistake, and he has succeeded in becoming a productive member of his community always in view of the fact that then," the lawsuit states. Mr. Arroyo, who has a bachelor's degree in computer science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, has excelled in his career as an in rank technology professional. He previously served with distinction in the U.S. Navy during Operation Desert Storm.

Attorneys Adam T. Klein, Samuel R. Miller, Ossai Miazad of Outten & Golden LLP, of New York, and Audrey Wiggins and Sarah Crawford, of Lawyers' Committee for Civil Civil rights Under Law, of Washington, D.C., represent Mr. Arroyo.

Samuel R. Miller said, "By all accounts, Mr. Arroyo was an brilliant, well-liked worker during the 17 months he spent at Accenture as a contract employee. But rather than evaluating Mr. Arroyo on his individual qualities, as a person who had made a mistake in the distant past and had went on to build a solid career, the managers at Accenture stigmatized him as a criminal and fired him without see. When companies act this way, they make it impossible for ex-offenders to rebuild their lives and contribute to their families and communities.

"Sarah Crawford said, "Accenture's policies and practices are illegal because they adopt and perpetuate the racial disparities and overrepresentation of people of color in the American criminal justice system. Federal civil civil Civil rights laws are clear. Blanket criminal record policies cannot be used by employers unless the employer determines after analysis that the conviction is related to the job at issue and denial of the employment opportunity is consistent with business necessity."

Adam Klein said, "What's most striking about this case is that a company employing hundreds of thousands of staff does not have a policy in place to safeguard against unfair and discriminatory use of criminal background checks."In November 2007, Mr. Arroyo filed a Charge of Discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). On Jan. 8, 2010, the EEOC issued a "right to sue" letter to Mr. Arroyo.

The lawsuit seeks to force changes in Accenture hiring and retention policies, practices and programs, restore Mr. Arroyo and Class members to their positions at the company, front and/or back pay and benefits, and litigation expenditure.

The case is "Roberto J. Arroyo, et al., v. Accenture LLP, et al.," Class Action Complaint No. 10-cv-03013 (JSR), in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York.

A letter to Austin (MN) Daily Herald sheds light on a national problem of lack of background checks for child care providers, so claims the author.

In her letter, Linda K. Smith, Executive Director, National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, was “deeply troubled” after reading that a Plymouth, Minnesota man who was charged with possession and delivery of child pornography had worked and volunteered in a number of child care facilities in Minnesota. She was concerned that an individual charged with a horrible crime  had “numerous opportunities to be in contact with small family.”

Smith wrote that in view of the fact that the disorder of Minnesota does not demand child care providers to undergo a comprehensive background check, including fingerprints, no one knows if the accused individual has a criminal past, and “no one can know the full criminal history of the providers currently caring for Minnesota’s family.”

Smith also extra that while many parents assume child care providers in licensed care have had a background check, “the reality is that only half of states demand a fingerprint check and only 16 demand a check of the sex offender registry.”

Smith believes “the best way to ensure family are safe and protected from predators and felons in child care is to demand comprehensive background checks of child care providers. A comprehensive background check means a check of federal and disorder fingerprints, as well as checks of the child abuse and sex offender registries.”

She urges the disorder ensure the safety and well-being of Minnesota’s family in child care by enacting legislation that will demand comprehensive background checks of child care providers.

Minnesota is not alone in dealing with problems concerning background checks of child care providers. Recently, the Governor of Florida signed a new law strengthening background checks for caregivers. Starting August 1, the law will demand staff who care for family, the elderly, and the disabled in the disorder of Florida to undergo stricter background checks.

The law follows a 2009 series by the Sun-Sentinel newspaper that exposed gaps in Florida’s background check system. A six-month investigation by the newspaper found convicted felons with records for rape, child abuse, and murder had been hired as employees of day care centers, helped living facilities, and home affect care agencies.

For extra in rank on background checks, please visit Employment Screening Resources (ESR) at http://www.esrcheck.com.

Source:

http://www.austindailyherald.com/news/2010/jun/21/letter-disorder-case-illustrates-national-problem/

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/orl-special-trustbetrayed,1,1351488.htmlpage

Amy Bishop Anderson and her husband, Jim, were questioned after a package containing two pipe bombs was sent to the Newton, Massachusetts, home of Dr. Paul Rosenberg, a Harvard professor and a doctor at Family's Hospital Boston, the Sphere said, citing a law enforcement official. At the time, Anderson was working as a postdoctoral fellow in the hospital's creature biochemistry lab.

Anderson is charged with capital murder in the Friday shooting deaths, making her eligible for the fatality penalty in Alabama. Authorities said she was attending a faculty meeting in a university construction when she brandished a gun and shot six colleagues, killing three.

The mother of four was arrested as she was leaving the construction, Huntsville Police Chief Henry Reyes said Saturday. A 9 mm handgun was recovered from the second floor of the construction after the shootings Friday.

On Saturday, it was revealed that in 1986, Anderson, then 19, shot her brother to fatality in Braintree, Massachusetts. Authorities single-minded after an investigation that the shooting was accidental.

But Braintree Police Chief Paul Frazier said Saturday, "It is a far different tale, I believe, than what was reported back then. I cannot tell you what the thought process was behind our releasing her at the time."

Anderson's husband, Jim, told CNN on Monday that federal investigators had gathered a dozen subjects in the attempted bombing, but "there were never any suspects. Never anyone charged, never anyone arrested."

"Then five years later, we got a letter from the ATF saying, 'You are in the clear,' " he said, referring to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Sylvia Fluckiger, a lab technician who worked with Anderson at the time, told The Boston Sphere on Sunday that Anderson had a dispute with Rosenberg shortly before the bomb incident.

Fluckiger told CNN affiliate WCVB-TV in Boston, "Police interviewed her, and she told me about it. I really wondered if she may have had, you know, some extra knowledge, although I'm not accusing her of anything."

Rosenberg was opening a package delivered to his home while he was away on vacation, but he saw wires and a cylinder inside and called police, the Sphere reported.

"She was the suspect early on," the law enforcement official, who the Sphere said had knowledge of the case, told the newspaper of Anderson. She allegedly was concerned that she was going to receive a negative evaluation from Rosenberg, the official said.

Jim Anderson told The New York Times the December 1986 fatality of his wife's brother, Seth, was accidental. He declined to comment when CNN questioned him about the shooting Monday.

Frazier, but, said Saturday that an official involved in the case and still working for Braintree police told him that the teen had shot her brother during an argument. She fired a shot in her bedroom without hitting anyone, then argued with her brother and shot him, he said.

She fled the home after the shooting and was arrested after pointing a weapon at a vehicle near the house in an unsuccessful attempt to get the driver to stop. During the booking process, then-Chief John Polio called and told the officers to release her, Frazier said. He extra her mother was then a member of the Braintree Personnel Enter.

Reached by CNN, Polio, now 87 and retired, denied calling in that order, saying detectives told him the shooting appeared accidental and it was single-minded Anderson should be released to her mother. He said any link linking Anderson's release and her mother's position on the enter was "laughable."

Anderson's mother, Judith, did not pledge her door Monday. Reached by telephone, she told CNN, "We're very distraught," and declined further comment.

A December 8, 1986, article in The Boston Sphere said Anderson questioned her mother how to unload a round from a 12-gauge shotgun and accidentally shot her brother while she was usage the weapon. The article cited Polio as the source.

The disorder police report on the incident, released Sunday by the office of Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Massachusetts, is similar to the Sphere's account. Delahunt was district attorney at the time; staffers said he was in the Middle East on Sunday and unable to comment on the case.

The 1986 report said Braintree police told disorder police investigators "indications were that Amy Bishop had been attempting to manipulate the shotgun and had subsequently brought the gun downstairs in an attempt to gain help from her mother in disarming the weapon" when it went off, shooting her brother in the chest.

In a December 17, 1986, interview, Anderson told authorities she "thought it would be a excellent thought if she learned how to load the shotgun in the house," according to the disorder police report. The young woman told police she was concerned for her own safety after the family home was kaput into, although she previously had been frightened of the gun.

She said she got the gun and loaded shells into it, but was unable to get them out. Anderson said that while she was attempting to unload the weapon on her bed, it went off. She then took it downstairs to question for help in unloading it, where the shooting occurred.

The police report said both Anderson and her mother said the shooting was accidental. Her mother told police she did not hear the earlier shot in her daughter's bedroom and "believed the house was relatively well soundproofed and that such a discharge would not necessarily be heard on another floor of the house."

Frazier said police records of the incident are missing. But Polio said, "There was no cover-up. Absolutely no cover-up and no missing records. The records were all there when I left. Where they went in the last 22 years and two police chiefs subsequent, I don't know."

Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan said Sunday that a review will commence to locate all materials associated with the shooting.

Anderson, who is known to students as Dr. Bishop, had been working at the University of Alabama in Huntsville in view of the fact that 2003 and was up for tenure, according to spokesman Ray Garner. But, authorities wouldn't discuss possible motives or whether the issue of tenure may have played a role in the shooting.

Garner said the university gives teachers six years to get tenure. Those who do not get it are terminated, he said.

Jim Anderson told CNN on Monday that his wife had been denied tenure and had appealed that choice and won, but she was still fighting to be granted tenure. She was frustrated with "the process," he said.

He told CNN earlier his wife had an attorney but would not say who it was, and he described her as a excellent teacher. He said Monday his wife wrote three novels, "medical thrillers." The couple does not own a gun, he said.

He said he last saw his wife briefly on Friday morning before she left for class. He said she was "loving, got along with everybody."

The family, he said, is devastated, and in "shock, bewilderment, wondering why."

He told the Times the pipe bomb incident is "one thing from the past I hoped would not be dredged up."

Partial court document below this blog

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors say ESPN reporter Erin Andrews' peephole stalker ran background checks on other female sports reporters.

Although no other celebrities were secretly filmed by Michael Barrett, about 16 other women were "victimized … in nearly precisely the same way that he victimized" Andrews, according to a sentencing memorandum filed in U.S. District Court in city center Los Angeles.

The names of those who were allegedly the targets of Barrett's "long-term obsession," other than Andrews, were not revealed in court papers, but prosecutors described them as "female sports reporters, as well as other television personalities."

The memo also includes a list of the titles Barrett gave to his hotel peephole videos of Andrews — "Erin Andrews Spectacular Butt," "Erin Andrews in a Pink Thong" and "Erin go WOW!!"

The court filing notes that Andrews wants Barrett to pay her about $335,000 in restitution.

The pestering has had a "devastating impact on … Andrews' emotional disorder, and the emotional distress caused to her and her family cannot be overstated. She has lived in dread for her physical safety," the prosecution's filing document states.

Barrett, 48, of the Chicago vicinity, has pleaded guilty to one federal count of interstate pestering and is scheduled to be sentenced March 8.

In his plea agreement, Barrett admitted surreptitiously shooting videos of Andrews in the nude through peepholes in hotel rooms in Nashville, Tenn.; Columbus, Ohio; and Milwaukee, and posting the record on the Internet after trying to sell it to the Los Angeles-based entertainment news site TMZ.com.

At the guilty plea hearing in December, Andrews said that always in view of the fact that the record became public, "I am subject to crude comments. I walk into stadiums and fans make crude comments to me. I have nightmares about this sexual predator."

She extra, "I hope he never sees the light of day again so nobody else has to go through this."

Barrett was arrested Oct. 2 at Chicago's O'Hare Global Airport.

After the allegations came to light, investigators learned the peephole had been altered in the door to a Nashville hotel room where Andrews stayed in September 2008, according to prosecutors.

Barrett had specifically requested and stayed in the hotel room adjacent to Andrews, prosecutors said. He had also registered at hotels in Columbus and Milwaukee where Andrews stayed in July and September 2008, according to a court filing.

TMZ.com was offered the videos of the victim for an undisclosed amount via e-mail messages that later were associated back to Barrett, said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller.

Barrett's attorney, David K. Willingham, has said his client had lost his insurance job and may lose his home as a result of the case.

Until he is sentenced next month, Barrett remains emancipated on $100,000 bond under conditions that include house arrest, electronic monitoring and restrictions on his use of the telephone and the Internet.

Note: MyBackgroundcheck.com screens volunteers through its division www.volunteertracking.com .

A mother whose 14-year-ancient son was given an inappropriate sexual culture by a 28-year-ancient woman said she's frustrated by the winks and snickers she gets from some people.

The woman said her son was still playing with Lego construction bricks and "army men" when Tanya Hussick, a mother of four family, took him into her bed and engaged the boy in sexual intercourse.

She said it pained her to reckon of her first born being sexually molested by an adult, but it was "nearly a non-issue" for other people.

"Sometimes, I would get a reaction like, 'Oh excellent for him,'" referring to the social myths and stereotypes about a young boy being educated about sex by an older woman.

Ontario Court Justice Bernd Zabel days gone by handed Hussick, 29, a six-month conditional sentence and placed her on probation for two years.

A conditional sentence means Hussick will have a conviction registered against her, but can serve her sentence in the community under supervision. Terms of the supervision order will be drafted by defence lawyer Kim Edward and assistant Crown attorney Kevin McKenna and returned to the judge for approval.

Hussick, a former parent volunteer at a local elementary school, pleaded guilty to sexual assault last July, admitting to sexual intercourse with a minor during a month-long period the previous summer. She also attempted to perform oral sex on the boy.

There would have been no criminal offence had the sexual encounter occurred only a few months earlier.

Canada raised the legal age of consent to 16 from 14, effective May 1, 2008. In view of the fact that then, a young person under the age of 16 cannot with permission consent to any form of sexual activity, ranging from kissing to intercourse.

The mother said her son was extremely in tears when the tale got out and pleaded with her not to tell the police for dread that Hussick would lose her family.

"I reckon he had a crush on her… he honestly had feelings for her, but for her it was all a huge game," said the mom.

Sheriff's deputies say William "Bill" McLaughlin, 45, was arrested in December 2009 and charged with manifold felony counts including sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust.

"It is very tragic to hear about these types of cases, especially when it involves someone who is place in a position to care for and guide our youth. It is a fantastic reminder for parents to have a discussion to their family about issues involving these types of cases and how vital open and honest communication is," Douglas County Sheriff Dave Weaver said in a news release.

Detectives believe McLaughlin, who was a youth volunteer at Denver Church of Christ, might have taken advantage of other family. During his time with Denver Church of Christ, which has satellite churches across Colorado and the country, McLaughlin had contact with hundreds of family and traveled extensively.

John Lusk, a senior minister with Denver Church of Christ says the church has about 600 adult members and its main church is in Arvada.

Lusk says McLaughlin volunteered with the church's youth from 1999 to 2006, but was "taken out" of the youth volunteer program four years ago. Lusk says he didn't know why McLaughlin was removed, but extra McLaughlin has not been involved with the youth for four years.

According to Lusk, McLaughlin volunteered with teens from the church's high school group. His job was to attend activities and serve as a mentor. The thought, Lusk says, was "to be a spiritual guide to them."

"We typically do background checks," Lusk said. He was unsure whether a background check was done on McLaughlin.

During the ongoing investigation detectives have learned that McLaughlin lived in several locations within Douglas County, where some of the crimes took place, as well as manifold places in the Denver metro vicinity.

McLaughlin declined to have a discussion on-camera with 9NEWS.

McLaughlin's ex-wife, Cathy Jones, who does not live in Colorado, was in disbelief over the charges.

"I'm shocked. I don't believe it, can't believe it," Jones said. "I don't reckon it's right. He's a excellent man."

Jones and McLaughlin have been divorced in view of the fact that 1995.

In 2006, McLaughin was charged with a misdemeanor for sexual contact without consent, but in exchange for pleading guilty to harassment, the first charge was dismissed.

Pam Russell, a spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, says in the 2006 incident, a 14-year-ancient son of a friend told deputies McLaughlin was constantly around. One day, in the family's kitchen, deputies say McLaughlin tried to place ice down the boy's pants. The teen repeatedly told McLaughlin no, but deputies say he persisted and eventually did place the ice down the boy's pants.

Deputies say when McLaughlin place the ice down the boy's pants, he touched the 14-year-ancient's private parts. The incident was reported after the fact, and McLaughlin was charged with a misdemeanor.

The Denver Church of Christ issued the following statement after McLaughlin's recent arrest:

"The leadership of Denver Church of Christ was informed in late December by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office that a former youth volunteer of the church was arrested and charged with an offense against a young man. The Church leadership is very concerned by these allegations and the harm these actions bring to all involved. The Church leadership has been cooperating with the Sheriff's investigation in view of the fact that the initial arrest.

"Our view and prayers go out to this victim, his family, as well as all others concerned and affected by these events. As we wish to protect the privacy interests of the persons who have raised these concerns, we cannot comment any further on the case, or the investigation. We question that all of those involved with these events and the investigation be grateful for the seriousness of the claims and fully cooperate with the Sheriff's investigation."

Anyone with in rank about McLaughlin, additional victims or inappropriate conduct by McLaughlin should contact the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Investigations Division at 303-660-7548 or its tip line at 303-660-7579.

The House Culture Committee voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of a bill that would expand the criminal background checks required of school employees to include volunteers.

HB81 would demand background checks for "volunteers who [are] given significant unsupervised access to a student in connection with the volunteer's assignment."

Legislators dismissed the concerns of Rob Layton, of the Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, who warned that vague language in the bill would make it hard for citizens to volunteer in schools.

"You are excluding a large range of people," he said, citing those who have been arrested, but not charged, and those who have been convicted of drug and alcohol-related misdemeanors, such as open container and marijuana possession laws. "It is just additional burdens on [volunteers]."

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, said extra stringent requirements are necessary to protect family. The bill comes after public safety officials last year unearthed nearly 7,000 arrests, criminal charges or convictions. But a single employee could account for a dozen or extra of those, said agency spokesman Jeff Nigbur.

The bill would also allow districts to demand employees, applicants and volunteers to pay the background check fees, rather than the district casing those expenditure.

Currently, teachers undergo a background check as part of receiving or renewing a teaching ticket.

Licensing fees charged to them cover the expenditure of background checks. Periodic checks are also required for non-teaching staff such as bus drivers.

A district may choose to demand non-certified employees, such as custodians, secretaries, and lunch clerks, to undergo a background check when they are hired, although the district must cover those expenditure. Becky Williams, the creature resources director for Davis School District, said shifting those fees would save her district approximately $300,000 over six years. Pre-use.com offers background check air force to thousands of organizations and is the largest supplier of volunteer background checks in the nation. Full descriptions can be found here:

http://www.mybackgroundcheck.com/Business/Volunteer

This need to grant a safe environment for the vulnerable populations that nonprofit organizations serve – including family, the elderly, and those people with special needs – has led to the need for a comprehensive and cost-effective volunteer tracking and risk management system to be made available to the nonprofit sector.

Realizing the safety and security of those served is a top priority, many nonprofit organizations have partnered with companies that grant criminal background checks that look for “red flags” such as drug felonies, domestic violence, child abuse, and sex offender crimes in the pasts of not only volunteers, but the employees of nonprofits too.

By screening out potential “terrible hires” with background checks, nonprofit organizations reduce liability while ensuring the safety of their members and communities served. The consequences of a poor hiring choice could include: negligent hiring lawsuits, decreased workplace safety, lowered productivity, and terrible publicity that could make securing donations extra hard.

To meet the specific requirements of nonprofit organizations, a comprehensive and cost effective web-based volunteer and employee tracking system must exceed other extra typical background check programs in order to grant volunteer, employee, and community protection at the local, regional, and national levels.

MyBackgroundCheck.com — a leading provider of applicant supplied background checks — has partnered with many nonprofit organizations to ensure the security of volunteers, employees, and communities. The company’s only one of its kind Volunteer/Employee Tracking System effectively manages risk while significantly reducing background check expenditure.

By selecting MyBackgroundCheck.com, nonprofit organizations give volunteers and employees a useful resource. With an account, volunteers and employees can view background check results, manage private in rank, and receive notification of changes to their background check in rank and who is requesting access to their in rank.

To learn extra about volunteer background checks and the volunteer tracking system from MyBackgroundCheck.com, visit www.volunteertrackingsystem.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364. Follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.

pr@mybackgroundcheck.com

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor's "VOLUNTEERING IN THE UNITED STATES,  2008" report reveals that approximately 61.8 million people (or 26.4 percent of the population) volunteered at least once linking September 2007 and September 2008.

If volunteers in America work with family, the elderly, and the disabled, they most likely undergo criminal background checks that look for "red flags" such as drug felonies, domestic violence, child abuse, and sex crimes, USA TODAY reports. Using background checks on volunteers has grown steadily in view of the fact that 1993, when the National Child Protection Act became law and enabled organizations to use criminal background checks to screen out volunteers with criminal records, according to USA TODAY, and some states have enacted their own laws concerning volunteer background checks:

• Florida: A 2005 disorder law requires school districts to run potential volunteers through the sexual predator and offender database.
• Minnesota: A 2008 disorder law made background checks mandatory for volunteers who work with family, the elderly, the disabled, and other vulnerable populations.
• Ohio: A 2001 disorder law encourages youth organizations to demand background checks for volunteers.
• Oregon: A 2001 disorder law authorizes the Disorder Police to conduct national background checks on people volunteering to work with family, the elderly and the disabled.

Ensuring the safety and security of members and the community should be a top priority for volunteer organizations, and they need a volunteer background check program in place that meets the specific requirements of for volunteer screening, MyBackgroundCheck.com — a lead the way in the consumer requested and applicant supplied background check industry — has developed a only one of its kind and comprehensive Volunteer Tracking System (VTS) for volunteer background checks that tracks volunteer applicants that effectively manages risk, significantly reduces volunteer background check expenditure, and protects volunteers, volunteer organizations, and the community.

For extra in rank about MyBackgroundCheck.com's Volunteer Tracking System (VTS) for volunteer background checks, visit www.volunteertrackingsystem.com, call 1-800-503-2364, or request in rank. Pocket a Volunteer Screening and Risk Management Nonprofit Establishment Survey. Follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.

tahearn@mybackgroundcheck.com