In many of our national organizations, criminal background checks of coaches and volunteers are required in order to screen for sexual offenders. Throughout our risk management materials you will find that regardless of a requirement, these screenings are highly recommended. But what should a league do when the known sex offender (per public record) is a parent or a spectator?
The first direction would be to consult your local attorney since they would be familiar with the particular states laws. Also make sure that the organization is following its own rules and bylaws. The general liability policies that we write for the national organizations may require that volunteers be screened, but not the parents that are not volunteers. This is because as a general rule, only a volunteer who has repeated access to youth is in a position to “groom” them for molestation.
Whether background checks are required or not, a lot can be accomplished by educating the team/league, the volunteers and the parents on inappropriate boundary invasions. More information can be found in our article Protecting Children Against Sexual Abuse and Molestation.
