July 30, 2004

No Surprises, Please

By SCOTT SMALLWOOD

Colleges and state legislatures seek more background checks of faculty members, but some professors say they are an invasion of privacy

Chances are that the professor standing at the front of the classroom is not a murderer. He has never raped anyone or assaulted anybody in a bar. His colleague across the hall never stole from her last employer. As far as we know, they are both squeaky clean.

But what if?

A professor with a criminal record might pose a danger to students

Print Subscription

Digital Subscription

Already have an account? Log In Now.