Bill to Protect School Children from Sexual Predators Becomes Law

Nashville, Tenn.  – A proposal to protect school children from sexual predators working on construction projects on school grounds is now the law in Tennessee.

The new law, authored by State Sen. Jamie Woodson (R-Knoxville) and inspired by a suggestion from a Knoxville construction company, requires background checks of construction workers involved in projects in schools where children are present.

The legislation was prompted by the vicious 2005 murder in Florida of nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford by convicted sex offender John Couey. Jessica was taken from her home by Couey, raped and buried alive. Media reports following Couey’s arrest noted that he had worked on a construction project at Jessica’s school.

“Laws were already in place to ensure that convicted sex offenders cannot live near a school, but we had no law saying that sex offenders were prohibited from working on a school construction project when children are present,” Woodson said.

The bill passed during the last session of the legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Phil Bredesen. It went into effect in September. Woodson said Sandy Loy, a Knoxville construction company owner, brought her the idea for the legislation.
Loy, president of Construction Plus, Inc., has for years voluntarily conducted background checks on his company’s employees working on school projects.

“When I went to Sen. Woodson to suggest that background checks were a good idea to protect children she saw the value immediately,” Loy said. “Predators should not have authorized access to children in their places of learning.”

The law requires employers that contract with schools or child care centers to conduct background checks on all employees who have potential contact with children.

If an employee is found to be a registered sexual offender, he or she is prohibited from working on school grounds or child care center property when children are present. 

The provisions of the law apply regardless of whether the employment was direct or through a subcontractor or subsidiary.   After the background check is conducted, contractors will receive letters from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation indicating whether the employee is allowed to work on school grounds when children are present.

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