Am I over reacting? And WWYD

I don't believe you are overreacting.  I'd be just as PO'd.  How the heck could they not run background checks on people inside a school is beyond me.  Is it a public school?  

Public or private, I would let the principal know it's a problem and needs to be remedied yesterday.  For some reason, folks don't like to hear the word "lawyer."  I wouldn't talk lawyer in the initial meeting with the administration, but stick to your guns.  Demand an action plan.  Get their commitments down in writing.  If they slip up, go over their heads.

Yeah, a lot of folks would think that's an overreaction, but that's just how I would try to handle it.

Good luck man.

Public.  Fact is, I'm mad at myself for not investigating further but how was I to know they would just let her be escorted from class with a "volunteer"  And to thibk this guy, who is probably a nice person, could be on thr sex offender registery.

Oh yeah, I am calling the County School Admin office Monday.  Folks, meet Mr Liles!  And I will be saying lawyer.  I have to think their own lawyers would think this is a major risk / liability by not having BG checks.!!!!

Agree with ebshot.

We have to check in at our Early Learning Center (pre-K to 2nd grade), sign-in, and wear a badge necklace that identifies that we are volunteering.

It didn't hurt to have had 2 other sons go through that school already, and I'm friends with some of the teachers, so I'm more accepted around there to help out when I come in on a day off to help.

i don't have kids so i know my opinion doesn't matter, but, silly question here.

would you be freaking out if this volunteer were a woman?

You're overreacting.  Actually, you're WAY overreacting.

If you're really concerned, go to the school and escort your own kid....or go meet the escorts.

Yeah, threaten the school with a lawyer....who cares?

Just FYI, I've raised 5 kids through the public grade school system.....they came in contact with all kinds of people I/they didn't know.....it's called socialization.  As a child, you did too.

BTW - nice avatar!  Semper Fi! 

I have a son in middle school, and a daughter in elementary school. I think you're overreacting. 

At my kid's school if you only volunteer a few times a year you do not need a background check, if you volunteer over 5, I believe, you need a background check. But as others have said, the system isn't perfect. At our school you have to be buzzed in the door, then check in at the office, and get a visitor badge, so it's not like just anyone can be walking around the school. I have volunteered several times and taken kids out in the hallway to work on reading sentences, or counting change. Would it be different if my husband would have been taking the kids into the hallway instead of me?

I think getting a lawyer is a little over the top. Maybe just call the school and ask about their volunteer policy.

x2 and dang it is hard to work with kids anymore without worrying about someone accusing you of something.

Was the volunteer left alone with your child in the library or was he just providing an escort down the hallway? Most schools have people walking up and down the hallways at all times of the day and video cameras recording all day long.

I taught preschool for 13 years. One year I taught in an old trailer at the back of the main building. I was walking the class from the main building to our trailer and it started to rain. All the kids started running to the trailer to get out of the rain, some were faster than others. I waited at the door. One little girl who was slower than the others went home and told her mom that I locked her out of the trailer. Now I get a phone call from an irate parent. I was standing at the door, nothing locked, there was no drama.

That was a little off topic but I've already typed it all .

Anyway, as I said, I've been a teacher for long time and adopted 2 children. I've had background checks with each adoption and with each new school I've taught at. Currently my daughter goes to a Catholic preschool in a different town. I can't come escort her on a field trip or help in the classroom unless I take the Protecting God's Children class which I have had at my own church. It is a class informing parents about pedophiles, very disturbing to say the least. Now the 2 churches can't get their records straight and I'm NOT taking the class again but so far I am not allowed to help out with anything at school. There are some days I go to pick her up and the aide is there by herself because the teacher got called out of class. So now instead of calling in a parent volunteer who is a certified teacher with 15 years experience to volunteer till the end of the day it is better to leave the aide alone with 21 preschoolers?

My son goes to public school. They just don't encourage volunteers at all. No room parties, no parents eating lunch with the kids, no parents helping with playground duty. My husband is the super, I've got on him a little about this but now I understand why. 

I think as parents this is a scary time right? I understand that. You hear stories about creeps like Jerry Sandusky and of course the grotesque behavior of the Catholic Priests from years ago and you get the feeling that you can't trust anyone. You have to be on high alert, protect your child, suspicious for their own good. So now you call a lawyer about the man walking your child down the hallway and next your wife is not allowed to help at the school because they shut down the volunteer program all together. 

Just call the school and ask a few questions.

I'd want to know what the "volunteer man" was doing by asking the school and teacher about it first. Was this a classroom aide that was asked to help her with some classwork? Was this someone from special ed or guidance? I would not expect a 5 y.o. to really understand or explain what the reason was for being taken out of class, especially if she is gauging your reaction and then modifying what she says based on your reactions (not trying to deceive, but kids are really good at figuring out that parents are upset with what they are saying and then trying to say the "right" thing).

As for background checks, when my youngest was in HS marching band, we often volunteered to help out for the bus trips and parades as chaperones. At the time, they did not have a policy of getting background checks, and they sometimes struggled to get enough parent volunteers. The year after she graduated, they implemented checks, and had a lot more trouble getting enough parents willing to spend the money and time applying to the state and FBI for background checks. By adding a layer of "protection" (that, as has been pointed out, only identifies those who have previously been caught), you sometimes end up having a smaller pool of applicants due to the burden added.

I think you can enhance safety by requiring volunteers to always be in pairs or small groups, have a paid staff person in eyesight, or have a staff person run the name through the state sex offender database.

I am a parent of a 10 and 13 year old.  We are very protective...some have accused us of being over the top.  So be it...there our kids.  You need to do what you feel is best.  The situation you describe, you might be over reacting a bit. I have volunteered various times at the schools over the years.  I don't recall ever escorting a child one on one...but I don't find it odd.  Volunteers are a very important part of the schools and if the teacher felt it was necessary for this volunteer to escort your child to the library I would not have a problem with that.  But I need more information than what you have posted here.

I fully support bringing out the big guns, unacceptable. (Yes, I have a healthy dose of paranoia, and then news feeds it continually, look what happened to poor Jessica.)

Patsy

Let me clear up a few questions raised.

1. My wife volunteers at the school.  I appreciate EVERYONE that does
2. My wife originally asked and no, they do not do background checks but you fill out a waiver.  Hell, I think the parents should be the one to do that?
3. The volunteer in question I have not met but Im sure he probably is a nice person.  BUT I DONT KNOW HIM AND HE IS NOT AN EMPLOYE OF THE SCHOOL.  I send my kids to a school to be protected by the employees I entrust them to during the day.  NOT someone who shows up ad hoc. 
4. From a liability standpoint, when I say lawyer, In todays world I would think a public school having non employees on site would want background checks.  If a worst case happens and they did not do BG checks, what do you think will happen?  School gets sued, WE AS TAXPAYERS foot the bill for the upfront lack of the school to manage risk.  It's simple. 
5. Yes, man or WOMAN, I have concerns about anyone having MY CHILD out of sight of the OFFICIAL staff at the school.
6. I absolutely think there is a potential liability risk for the school, on a matter of how this is handled if something were to happen to any child.  As for my child, I want BG checks.
7. Can a BG check stop everything, no.  Can it help as a risk prevention, yes.

As for the opinions, all of them are very much appreciated.  For that, you are all welcome to dinner tonight. 

I would be angry.

Our church does background checks on people in children's ministry.  Most churches I know do that.  It seems to reason that a school should do the same.  We are talking about the safety of our kids.

If your daughter's version checks out with everyone else's I would be up in the school's face making sure it didn't happen again with my kid.....or any other because the potential is too high.