School Hires Felons To Complete Construction

Eddie Farah

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It almost sounds like a comedy skit on Jay Leno. The president of the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine says he couldn't find a "felon-free" crew to complete construction on campus including the girl's dormitory.

Is it that tough to find reliable workers in Florida?

This despite the fact that school employees have been complaining for nine months that the school is showing a disregard for the 800 student's safety.

The 2005 Jessica Lunsford Act requires school districts to know the criminal background on workers on campus cross-checking their fingerprints with criminal databases.

That was not done in this case and the school's president knew about it.

School president Elmer Dillingham said he believes the administration made acceptable decisions. Dillingham said the felons were supervised by a full-time off-duty police officer and only hired because the school could not find a felon-free construction crew to work on emergency construction projects.
"I don't think, if you go to any public school in this state, that you'll find a better security system," he said.

Felony crimes among workers on campus include domestic battery, drug dealing and aggravated assault.