Forcing public school employees to undergo FBI background checks entered Maine'

Authors

Bruce Pratt

Source

Portland Monthly

Date

2-1-2007

Additional Date Information

Feb/Mar 2007

Pages

32-33, 80-83

Abstract

Forcing public school employees to undergo FBI background checks entered Maine's political debate in 1995 when former governor Angus King signed the bill into law and vetoed efforts to repeal it. Several Maine teachers lost their jobs over their refusal to submit to mandatory fingerprinting. These "refusers" consider their decisions to be acts of conscience, driven by beliefs in intellectual freedom, the right to privacy and the assumption of innocence. With comments by "refusers" Bernie Huebner, Paul Bilota, Steve Smith, Genie Wheelwright and others. Ironically, the state clings to privacy considerations to justify its never having told Maine people whether of not the fingerprinting measure has been effective.

Subjects

US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fingerprints

Recommended Citation

Pratt, Bruce, "Forcing public school employees to undergo FBI background checks entered Maine'" (2007). Maine News Index – Portland Monthly. 1238.
https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/news_portmonthly/1238