Anyone who volunteers in Derry schools on a regular basis will have to undergo a complete background check after a convicted sex offender was found to be volunteering at Ernest P. Barka Elementary School for the past four years.
Stephen Cleveland, 69, of 74 Chester Road was convicted of aggravated sexual assault in 1984 and registered with police in November. But it wasn't until last week that Cleveland was told to stay out of the school.
But the incident prompted district officials to change policy and screen every volunteer who enters a school.
"If they're in the building on a regular basis, we are going to start fingerprinting immediately," Hannon said of the district's 700 volunteers.
But some people say the school needs to do even more to protect their children.
Now that Cleveland has been seen around school, children will associate him with being a nice person if they see him in a park or around town unless parents educate their children to the danger, according to Debbie Savoia, a mother and victim rights advocate from North Andover, Mass.
"For the school to say none of these kids are in danger is wrong," Savoia said.
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