Can Employment Screening Standards Be Too Rigorous?
An article posted by the Sun Sentinel is quite compelling in that it puts rigorous employment screening standards in a negative light. It tells the story of Ray Fetcho, or as his South Florida community know him, drag queen “Tiny Tina”. Fetcho is well known and loved by the families of the elderly dementia patients he cared for at Victoria Villa. After 13 years or employment Victoria Villa was forced to terminate his employment due to his minor 1976 arrest.
Fetcho was charged with a misdemeanor for emceeing a “Wet Jockey Shorts” contest at a now-closed gay nightclub. His actions were considered a lewd act by undercover state agents. This offense was discovered by state inspectors during their inspection of Victoria Villa which led to his termination.
Ironically due to a series of Sun Sentinal reports which pointed out flaws in Florida’s background screening system the state decided to crack down on caregivers with criminal records. It’s great that the state is taking their employment screening practices seriously but should it be a little more flexible? Obviously in this case, Fetcho had a great track record and it seems like his dated offense had no bearing on his performance as a care giver. So do you think the state should re-examine its employment screening policy?
For the complete article click here.
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