What school board wouldn’t welcome a free Federal online security service to protect our children? Ours! My concern regarding our school board’s negligence on this issue became overwhelming after news of the rape of a 14-year-old Scottsdale student by the school’s contracted laborer. The accused rapist was found to be an illegal immigrant now charged with seven felony counts of sexual assault related offenses.
The Basic Pilot is a free service, under the Dept. of Homeland Security in Washington, which quickly verifies Social Security numbers and work eligibility of prospective school employees and contract labor. This service offered to all public entities including school districts since 1996 has been ignored by our District Board despite requests for its implementation by local citizens. Why?
At the Nov. 2 School Board meeting many attendees, including myself, again urged the board to implement the free Basic Pilot service. The sole board comment regarding the issue was expressed by Oscar de la Torre implying we should not recognize a difference between legal workers and “illegals or non citizens.”
I think it’s a disservice to say that non-citizens are the only group, or only illegals and non-citizens are hurting children. So, it is important to protect children, period, from citizens or non-citizens who break the law or who are attacking our children. I’m concerned with the illegal activity. I don’t care if they’re citizens or non-citizens. I just want to make sure that we send that message out that it’s wrong.
Mr. de la Torre! I care. I care if they are “illegal and non-citizens,” to use your words. I care that we are hiring people to work among our children that we do not know, with backgrounds we do not know, with immunization records we do not know. I care that hiring illegal workers is a violation of our federal law. And I am disgusted that, as a school official representing our children, you do not care.
Shame on you, Mr. De la Torre, for defending illegal workers instead of taking every precaution possible to protect vulnerable children.
Jannette J.D. Frazier