Who Is Teaching Your Children

GOOD GRADES AND GETTING TO SCHOOL ON TIME MAY NOT BE A PARENT'S ONLY CONCERNS.

THESE DAYS SEX SCANDALS INVOLVING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ARE A DISTURBING TREND

BACKGROUND CHECKS ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP WEED OUT TROUBLED TEACHERS.

BUT A LOOPHOLE MEANS THOUSANDS OF INSTRUCTORS ACROSS THE STATE HAVE BY-PASSED THE PROCESS.

FOX 17's ERIKA LATHON TAKES AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT WHO'S TEACHING YOUR KIDS... AND AT WHAT'S BEING DONE TO KEEP TROUBLED TEACHERS OUT OF THE CLASSROOM....

PAMELA ROGERS QUICKLY BECAME TENNESSEE'S MOST NOTORIOUS TEACHER FOR HER SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH A 13 YEAR OLD STUDENT IN WARREN COUNTY.

IN NASHVILLE, GREGORY HALL WAS ACCUSED OF FONDLING A 13 YEAR OLD MALE STUDENT AND SHOWING OTHERS AN X-RATED FILM.

IT'S CASES LIKE THESE --ACROSS THE STATE -- THAT HAVE MANY PARENTS -- AND EDUCATORS -- WORRIED.

BRUCE BOWERS / METRO SCHOOLS EMPLOYEE RELATIONS: "I think its a slap, a blemish to all of us trying to do the right thing."

BRUCE BOWERS HEADS EMPLOYEE RELATIONS FOR THE METRO SCHOOL SYSTEM.

THIS SCHOOL YEAR, HE'S SCREENED THOUSANDS OF APPLICANTS.

Bruce Bowers: its standard operating procedure that all new hires must be fingerprinted.

THOSE FINGERPRINTS ARE USED TO CONDUCT BACKGROUND CHECKS...

WHILE THAT INFORMATION MAY KEEP SOME PEOPLE OUT OF THE CLASSROOMS, THE LAW REQUIRING THOSE CHECKS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR LESS THAN A DECADE....

THAT MEANS THOUSANDS OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE STATE ARE GRANDFATHERED --AND HAVE NEVER BEEN CHECKED FOR ANY CRIMINAL HISTORY.

Bruce Bowers: "I would have to say sixty percent maybe more that have not been fingerprinted."

IT'S THE SAME SITUATION FOR MOST SCHOOL SYSTEMS AROUND THE STATE .. INCLUDING MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

BRUCE JOBE / MONTGOMERY CO. SCHOOLS: "We go strictly by state law. Those folks who have been here. 14 years or more we're fairly comfortable with them. I think we're in good shape.

IN 2004, FORMER BUS DRIVER BRIAN WRIGGLESWORTH PLEAD GUILTY TO RAPING A 7-YEAR GIRL ON HIS BUS ROUTE.

AND IN JULY, HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL COACH ANDY COOPER WAS CHARGED WITH MURDERING HIS WIFE ... KENWOOD HIGH VICE PRINCIPAL PAM COOPER.

BOTH HAD UNDERGONE CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS.

Jobe: "It gives us at least the background. Have there been previous behaviors we wouldn't want in our classroom? While you can't predict all future behavior you can certainly know that there's a greater chance.

NIKEISHA SMOTHERS HAS BEEN A METRO TEACHER FOR LESS THAN A MONTH ... SHE UNDERWENT A BACKGROUND CHECK BEFORE ENTERING THE CLASSROOM.

NIKEISHA SMOTHERS / METRO TEACHER: "I think its a great idea because you never know who or what type of people are teaching your kids, so you wanna know."

BUT EVEN WITH ALL THOSE CHECKS AND BALANCES THERE'S STILL NO GUARANTEE EVERY PERSON AROUND SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL FOLLOW THE RULES.

Bruce Bowers: "You can fingerprint today and its no guarantee that they next day or the next week someone will not go out an do something wrong."

IN THE MEANTIME ADMINISTRATORS HOPE BACKGROUND CHECKS WILL AT LEAST HELP WEED OUT THOSE FEW BAD APPLES.

METRO SCHOOLS PLAN TO EVENTUALLY FINGERPRINT AND CHECK THE BACKGROUNDS OF ALL IT'S EMPLOYEES.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY HOWEVER HAS NO PLANS TO FINGERPRINT THOSE HIRED BEFORE THE STATE LAW TOOK EFFECT.Who Is Teaching Your Children