Staff Editorial: Tread carefully on checks

After the arrest of a Quadrangle mailroom employee last month for mail theft, it was found that there was an outstanding warrant for her arrest -- on charges of aggravated assault. The University had no knowledge of the employee's past.

Students, and the community as a whole, have every right to be upset about this stituation. There is, as in the case of the former mailroom employee, the potential that these individuals may do some harm to another community member -- perhaps something far worse than stealing birthday cards.

Except in certain circumstances, for public safety and childcare positions, Penn had not conducted any criminal background checks of any kind. Prior to hiring, the University has made no attempt to find out if that new mailroom employee has a history of mail fraud or if the person manning the night desk at a college house has a violent criminal past.

That is, until recently. Last year, the University created a pilot program to conduct criminal background searches on prospective employees. Though limited in scope, the test is a promising sign that the University is serious about tackling this very serious issue.

But there is also very good reason to be concerned.

To begin with, the program has significant flaws. The types of background checks now being conducted on applicants for jobs under the aegis of the executive vice president's office are checked for criminal convictions during the last seven years -- making it entirely possible for a person without a conviction, such as a person with an outstanding arrest warrant, such as the Quad's card thief, to be hired without the University having any clue that the person is a fugitive from justice.

It is these applicants that Penn most needs to filter out, and the eventual system adopted University-wide must do so.

Even more important is that a criminal record not necessarily exclude a person from employment with Penn. Past wrongdoing is no guarantee of future misdeeds, and though the information may be useful for Human Resources to know and have, it is critical that it not misuse the information or violate a potential employee's trust.

The University has taken a strong first step, but there is much left to be done if Penn is to ensure the safety of its students and the privacy of its employees.

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