I believe that North Dakota is behind the times by not requiring background checks for their employees. While it is not mandatory, I certainly hope that each school district across the state will conduct their due diligence and use background checks as a part of the hiring process.

North Dakota schools are allowed - but not required - to perform criminal background checks on employees, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem says. 

State school Superintendent Wayne Sanstead asked Stenehjem to explain a new law that requires FBI background checks for some professions.

In a legal opinion issued Monday, Stenehjem said the law allows public and nonpublic schools to request the criminal history of current and prospective employees as well as volunteers who have unsupervised contact with students. He said legislators removed language requiring the checks.

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Tags: background check, checks, criminal, North Dakota, school