An important change in policy has been implemented at The Center. From this point on, all current and prospective board members of The Center will be required to either undergo a criminal background check — the same as all Center staff and volunteers currently do — or sign an affidavit saying their interaction with youth will be restricted. The board made this decision at their May 27 board meeting in 10-6 vote, with three abstentions.

Over the 10 months the issue was on the table it garnered both fervent support and heated opposition. Though the Gay and Lesbian Times was among those voicing opposition to the proposal — viewing the procedure as unnecessary and a potential invasion of privacy — The Center’s board ultimately put forth four proposals on the matter and one of these was voted in by due process. Regardless of our feelings on this issue, we should all respect the board’s decision and stand behind it.

However, the board still has some issues to resolve regarding this policy. Chief among them is the question of who at The Center will have access to the information once a background check is completed. Though The Center’s leadership appears strong at present, there is no question that the organization has at times had some questionable leaders at the helm. In such a close-knit community, who knows where information from a background check could end up if not handled discreetly?

According to board members, after taking a two-week break from the issue The Center will return to discuss the crucial aspect of how to implement the policy. Issues still to be hammered out include which agency will conduct the background checks. Will prospective board members submit to a fingerprint check or some other type of background search that would involve providing their driver’s license and/or social security number? The board hasn’t yet decided.

These issues could have been resolved ahead of time had the board voted for a proposal by newly elected board chair Robert Gleason, which called for the board to outline the “method for investigating and determining the provider of the background checks, the exact services performed, and who will evaluate the results.” Further, the proposal called for The Center board to shop more insurance carriers, a process that some feel was not exercised to its potential.

Still, beyond this issue, the community has been given no reason not to stand behind the decisions of The Center’s board. At this point in time, the organization has a strong, diverse board, whose decisions have in part helped return The Center to a fiscally solvent and highly regarded institution in our community.

Of course, for opponents of background checks, the combination of speaking up and letting due process take its course proved fruitful. In the last week before the vote, a proposal was added to the table by board member Fred Sainz that offers board members the option of signing an affidavit instead of undergoing a background check.

This at least gives board members an option.

All along, board members on both sides of the issue have maintained that their top priority is The Center and protecting youth. Though the Times discovered that The Center is one of the only GLBT centers to conduct background checks on its board members, those in favor of the policy said they feel that in an increasingly litigious society, this practice will become the norm. That remains to be seen.

Though board members of the San Diego County YMCA have considerably more contact with youth than do Center board members, the organization still does not require the checks for its board members.

“Every organization has to feel comfortable doing what it does,” Center Board member Fred Sainz told the Times this week. “We’ve chosen a different path…. It’s like my mother used to tell me when I used to complain about how Johnny was able to do certain things, but Freddie was not. My mother used to say, ‘I’m not Johnny’s mom, I’m your mom.’ That would be my argument about what the YMCA does…. I only care about The Center.”

Ultimately, it’s not likely that background checks will cause irreparable damage to members of our community who choose to serve on The Center’s board. Will the policy provide an extra measure of protection for youth and protect donors’ money from any potential insurance claims?

It’s possible.

At the May 27 meeting some expressed concern that this policy has the potential to keep some members of the community from applying for the board — namely transgender persons and people of color. Whether or not this is true, The Center must at this point make a commitment to assure that diversity on its board is maintained — and that, as positions open, the organization will go out of its way to inform the community of board opportunities.