What are background checks worth? Big lesson in this recent case

Not all employers conduct background checks for every position they hire. But as this recent court case shows, sometimes they’re just plain necessary.
If there’s a type of job you’d think would automatically require a background check, it’s those that involve contact with children or the elderly. In fact, background checks for those positions are required by law in some states.
Not in Virginia, though, and the Cote De Neige Home for Adults in Newport News didn’t run checks for prospective nursing assistants.
The end result: The home hired Junious Boyd Batte, a convicted felon with a long criminal history including assault and battery.
Of course, without checking, the home didn’t know about the new employee’s past — until it came out that he’d sexually assaulted a resident.
The patient took the home to court for “negligent hiring.” The company was forced to pat $750,000 in damages.