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Freddie Dean Smith was issued an emergency citation to fill in as a Vice Principal. Soon after, school officials learned about his criminal history.

Investigating a New Hire

After hearing that Freddie Dean Smith was asked to fill in as Vice President of a Pennsylvania High School, one resident decided to research his past. What the resident discovered prompted them to contact a local news team. Based on that call, a team representative launched a background investigation. It showed that Smith had a felony conviction for eluding police in 2002 and contained other items that caused concern.

According to Philadelphia Action News, Smith was also charged with sexual-based crimes in 2001 and 2003. Whether or not those charges led to convictions is unclear. The news team also learned about one man who is determined to spread the word about Smith's past.

Writer with a Mission

Robert Cox, a writer for the online publication Talk of the Sound in New Rochelle, New York, has written about Freddie Dean Smith numerous times. Cox authors additional articles when he sees news that confirms Smith has obtained employment within another educational facility. He eagerly spoke to a member of the Philadelphia News Team.

Cox claimed that Smith was denied a teaching certification in Maryland and Virginia. He also alleged that Smith was banned from working at or with schools in New Jersey or New York. The writer said that despite his record, Smith somehow slips through the cracks and finds jobs at educational facilities.

According to Cox, Smith should not be allowed to work with children. He has called on media outlets throughout the country to run their own investigations into Smith's past. Smith has had multiple jobs at public schools. Cox hopes to prevent this from happening again.

Smith's Latest Job

In May 2017, Freddie Dean Smith was hired at Chester High School. Initially, the plan was to bring him on for a six-week period at the end of a semester. Before Smith started, the Principal left and the Vice Principal was promoted.

Smith was granted an emergency citation to fill the Vice Principal position temporarily. School officials had started a background check on Smith, but did not have the results yet. His first and only day on the job was May 2, 2017.

Fallout

After day one, the results of Smith's background check were returned. The report included details of a criminal past. Smith was dismissed immediately.

The school issued a statement that read: "Mr. Smith was only with the school district for one day as per diem assistant principal. He took part in training sessions, during which he had no unsupervised contact with students. He is no longer with the district. As always, the safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority."

This statement also stipulated that the school district runs background checks on all new employees before their employment begins. After it was issued, Superintendent Dr. Juan Baughn reportedly said this about Smith: "He is not around our kids. He is not around our kids. He is not here."

What You Should Know About Criminal Background Checks

Criminal background checks provide information about convictions that are reportable. If an arrest does not lead to a conviction and the case is dismissed, it will not be reported in a background check. Convictions that later become sealed or expunged are also not allowed to be included in background checks or other consumer reports.

When running background checks on people who might work at schools, we suggest a National Criminal Database Search in addition to local searches. If records are found anywhere in the country, they are confirmed with a County Criminal Court Search. This ensures accuracy as the data comes directly from the court where a case was handled.

Learn more about our screening recommendations for the education industry.