Pa. Supreme Court Considering Criminal Background Checks For State-Owned University Faculty Members

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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will consider whether the 14 state-owned universities can compel all faculty members to undergo criminal background checks and inform the schools if they are arrested for serious crimes.

The high court this week granted a request by the State System of Higher Education to review an April decision that said the policy can't be imposed on all faculty without getting their labor union to agree.

The policy was a response to the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal at Penn State.

The Supreme Court will consider the schools' claim they had the right to enact a policy they argue "served the public interest in protecting minors."

The union president says policy has to be negotiated and can't be imposed unilaterally.

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