Ohio school districts were right to fire ex-cons

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court says school districts have a right to fire employees over old criminal convictions.

The 5-2 decision says a 2007 law that required schools to investigate employees’ criminal pasts and then dismiss those convicted of some offenses is constitutional, even when applied retroactively.

Part of the law required school districts to run background checks on non-licensed school employees and then fire those with drug trafficking or certain other convictions.

Tuesday’s decision came in a lawsuit filed by an unnamed Cincinnati school employee fired in 2008 over a 1976 drug trafficking conviction.

The Columbus Dispatch reports a lawyer for the plaintiff calls the law an overreaction to child safety concerns.