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Background Screening

Background Screening Policy

 
  1. In order to protect the youth of Collins Hill Athletic Association (CHAA) and to raise the standards of CHAA, a criminal background check is mandatory for all Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Trainers, and Managers. An Assistant Coach, Trainer or Manager is any person designated by the head coach as an Assistant or any coach who shall be alone with players, or responsible for a team during a game or practice. It is the policy of CHAA that at any CHAA sanctioned game, practice or event, there must be at least 1(one) adult present who has successfully completed a criminal background check. If there is not 1 (one) adult present who has completed a CHAA Background Check, the game, practice or event must be halted or postponed until such an adult is available.
  2. A written authorization for allowing CHAA to order an individual criminal background check is required by CHAA and it is the responsibility of the candidate for the volunteer or coaching position, the “Applicant”, to fill out the CHAA background check consent form and return it to a Board Member as directed. Failure to provide a background check consent form will disqualify the applicant from consideration for their volunteer or coaching position.
  3. The Background Screening “Committee” shall administer all background screening procedures. The Committee shall be made up of the current President, Vice-President and Secretary and the Director of the Sport for which the Applicant is submitting an application for volunteer status. The Sport Director or a designated Board Member shall receive the completed background screening consent forms and forward them to the Background Committee. The Committee shall be responsible for transmitting the forms to the reporting agency selected by the Board. The Committee shall receive and review the results of the background screening reports from the agency. The reporting agency will only send back reports if the individual does NOT meet the CHAA minimum standards for coaches using the following criteria:Individual applicants (”Applicants”) will be reviewed by the Background Check Committee and may be disqualified from positions as a Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Trainer, or Manager if they have ever been found guilty or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, regardless of the adjudication, for any of the following:
    1. Any crimes against children
    2. Any conviction involving violence
    3. Any sexual offense
      Should any pending charges described in “A” through “C” be uncovered, or should any charges be brought against an Applicant during the Coaches season, the Applicant will be reviewed by the Background Check Committee and may be suspended from serving as a volunteer until such time as the charges have been cleared or dropped and he/she is reinstated by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.In addition, Applicants will be reviewed by the Background Check Committee and may be disqualified if they have been found guilty or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, regardless of the adjudication, for any of the following within the past seven (7) years:
    4. Any Felony Conviction
    5. Any Drug Related Conviction
      In addition, Applicants shall be reviewed by the Background Check Committee for possible disqualification if they have been found guilty or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, regardless of the adjudication, for any of the following within the past five (5) years:
    6. Any crimes of moral turpitude or lack of integrity and/or character of an Applicant, as determined by the Background Check Committee
    7. More than one alcohol related conviction
  4. The Background Check Committee shall notify the affected Applicant that a disqualifying entry was reported on the criminal background check and present the background report and FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) letter to the Applicant. In the event the Applicant feels a mistake has been reported in their criminal background check, it is the Applicant’s responsibility to contact the reporting agency and resolve any issues. The Applicant has the right to appeal the decision made by the Background Check Committee. Included with the notification letter will be a copy of the Appeal Process. Failure to adhere to the process set forth as indicated in the Appeal Process will render the Background Check Committee’s decision as final.
  5. All information in response to the criminal background check or disclosed in the review process shall be kept confidential and not disclosed or discussed outside of the review process. CHAA and it’s members are not responsible for errors or omissions that may be reported on background checks. The Background Check Committee of CHAA shall maintain all authorizations and records or reports in a confidential manner.
  6. All background checks will expire two (2) years from the date of submission to the reporting agency. Each Applicant successfully completing a background check will receive a certificate as proof of a successfully completed background check showing an expiration date. It is the responsibility of the Applicant to show this certificate as proof when applying to volunteer for another sport later in the year. If an Applicant looses their certificate, it is their responsibility to have another background check completed. If the background check is set to expire during the commission of that sport, another background check must be completed.
  7. The Applicant may, at his option request a hearing of the Appeals Committee. The request for a hearing shall be made on the approved APPEALS REQUEST FORM and tendered to the sports director or any member of the Executive Board within forty-eight hours of receiving the notification that a disqualifying event has been discovered. Failure to timely request an appeal will cause the determination of the Background Check Committee to become final.
    Upon receipt of the APPEALS REQUEST FORM, the Secretary shall deliver the complete background check to the Appeals Committee and the APPEALS REQUEST FORM and the Appeals Committee shall schedule a hearing within 14 days of the request and inform the Applicant of the time and date of the hearing.
    At the hearing, there will be a time limit of thirty (30) minutes for the Applicant to present any argument that the determination of the BACKGROUND CHECK COMMITTEE should be modified.
    Any determination made by the Appeals Committee shall be final.
    The Appeals Committee comprised of the President of the Association as well as the Sports Directors for each sport. The President shall only vote in the case of a tie. If the President is not available, the Vice President of the Association will take his/her place.