CONTACT: Barbara LoMoriello CELL: (631) 662-5975

LoMoriello calls for stronger legislation

to keep our children safe from sexual predators

Recent incident at local private school shows need for action now

“The recent incident at the Long Island School for the Gifted, where a 4^th grade teacher was arrested after dozens of images of child pornography were found on his home computer, makes clear the need for tougher laws to protect children in the classroom,” Barbara LoMoriello said. “I’ll fight for legislation to provide more thorough background checks for employees in all New York schools – public and private.”  LoMoriello is running for State Assembly to represent the 10^th Assembly District.

LoMoriello noted that just this year the Assembly pushed a new law through the Legislature to require fingerprinting and criminal background checks for private school teachers in the same manner as is presently required for public school teachers, but it will not take effect until July of 2007.

“While I applaud the Assembly’s efforts to implement legislation that will better protect our children from dangerous sex predators, I believe that the effective date should be moved up so that our children will have this vital protection sooner than later,” LoMoriello said.

LoMoriello also stated that fingerprinting and criminal background checks fail to pick up everything. In addition to this legislation, a complete and thorough background evaluation of each prospective school employee – public or private – should be done. This would include a statutory requirement mandating that all computer and Web site records be checked and previous supervisors of the prospective employee be thoroughly questioned.

“Before a person is given a ‘security clearance’ to see classified government records, the FBI conducts a thorough background check,” LoMoriello said. “Similarly, when it comes to protecting our children, a fingerprint and a criminal history check is not enough – more needs to be done and it needs to be done now, not later.”

–30–

Friends of Barbara LoMoriello, Phone: (631) 662-5975  e-mail: focus1@optonline.net