What background check?

In Alabama, school employees are supposed to have a pre-employment background check. Unfortunately, since the need to hire quickly trumps the need to keep students safe, employees are often hired "pending background check." Keaton Lamar Battle, a teacher's aide in Dothan City Schools who has been accused of "enticing a child for immoral purposes" was such a hire. But his prior arrests weren't for sexual offenses, and according to the Alabama Department of Education, "a federal court ruling prevents the state department from issuing a blanket list of offenses that will automatically exclude employees from getting a job in education." Details here.