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Background Check Policy

Coach Screening / Background Check Policy Statement and Process

 

I.                    Mission Statement

 

MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL believes it is of utmost importance to ensure and protect the safety of the boys and girls who participate in its programs.  MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL strives to provide a safe environment where its athletes are guided by volunteer coaches of the highest character.  As part of our mission and to ensure our goals are achieved, the MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL board has implemented the following policy mandating background checks for all volunteers wishing to serve as a head or assistant Coach.

 

II.                  Statement on Policy

 

Criminal background screening on Coaches is conducted by Protect Youth Sports, an outside third party which specializes in background screening, and is overseen (in specific instances) by a screening committee, a subset of the MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL Board. This is executed in an effort to protect the children who participate in organized basketball and related activities associated with MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL.

 

III.                Definitions

 

MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL recognizes a Coach as any person who leads and instructs players at practices and/or games - or portions of practices and/or games - for Basketball, both in the recreation league and for the Travel program. Only those persons who are screened and approved by the MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL shall be allowed to coach.

 

The criminal background screening is mandatory, no exceptions.


 

IV.                Procedure

 

All candidates for the above mentioned positions must sign a Release Form for Criminal History which gives MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL the right to check criminal history records and verify social security numbers. This work is executed directly, through www.protectyouthsports.com, and the secure URL at which coaches can execute their mandatory background check is:  https://opportunities.averity.com/MountLaurelBball

 

No other personal information (e.g. work history, financial, credit, etc.) is checked or researched. The company executing background checks has agreed to such terms contractually, and confirms such direction annually.

 

The company never forwards any individual's personal information to MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL’s screening committee.  MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL’s screening committee is only notified if a coaching candidate fails the background check.  A failed background check means that the candidate has been arrested or convicted of one of the offenses identified below.  MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL is not notified of the specific offense or given any details pertaining to the offense.

 

If a coaching candidate fails the background check, they are disqualified to serve as a volunteer coach; both as a head coach and assistant coach.  If any of the disqualifying entries are reported in the criminal background check, MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL shall notify by email the Coach that he or she is disqualified and their name will not appear in the approved coaches list provided to the applicable commissioners.   A candidate may appeal the decision to the MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL screening committee via email to the mtlaurelbasketball@comcast.net email address within 72 hours of disqualification notice.  The burden is on the coaching candidate to show that the background check is inaccurate or that there are extenuating circumstances that the MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL screening committee should take into account in determining whether the candidate is acceptable to serve as a volunteer coach.  The MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL Board will ultimately determine coaching eligibility.  In the event information surfaces via the background check, or through the appeal process, the information will be held in the strictest confidence and no information will be made public.  

 

Reasons for being declined the opportunity to coach are noted below as part of this policy. In some instances, factors of time may be taken into account when considering coaching eligibility (i.e. length of time since disposition of certain offenses).

 

All information obtained, whether through the background check or appeal process, will be promptly destroyed at the end of the current MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL season in which the candidate seeks to serve as a volunteer coach.

 

All coaches are required to notify the committee immediately following an arrest or conviction of any of the offenses listed below. Any coach, who while coaching for MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL is arrested for committing an offense as listed, will immediately forfeit his/her coaching eligibility until disposition by the courts. A conviction of an offense as listed will result in termination of coaching eligibility as stated in the policy.

 

 

V.                  Offenses giving rise to Disqualification

 

The following is a list of offenses prohibiting an applicant from participation as a Coach under MOUNT LAUREL BASKETBALL’s Coach Screening/Background Check Policy.  This list includes, but is not limited to the following:

 

Mount Laurel Basketball

ACCEPT:

 

·       No record Found

·       Any reportable offense that resulted in a Non-Conviction

·       Any reportable offense that does not meet the Reject criteria

 

 

REJECT:

(Convictions, deferred, and pending cases)

·       Any Felony conviction

  • Any pending dispositions or conviction for child abuse or child neglect (either felony or misdemeanor).
  • Any conviction involving a controlled substance including possession, sale, distribution, manufacture, trafficking (including possession with intent to distribute).
  • Any use of a (non-prescribed) controlled substance/narcotic within the last three (3) years.
  • Any pending dispositions or conviction (either felony or misdemeanor) for assaultive behavior in the past ten (10) years including domestic violence, physical assault, vehicular assault, etc.
  • Any pending dispositions or conviction for a crime involving unlawful sexual contact (either felony or misdemeanor) with a minor or other sex-related crimes involving children.
  • Any pending dispositions or conviction for contributing to the delinquency of a minor (including purchasing and sale of alcohol to a minor).
  • Two (2) convictions of driving under the influence (DUI), driving while ability impaired (DWAI), or driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) within the past five (5) years.