Do sororities do background checks?

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by Jhawkalum

If you look back at this post, it was EPChick's sarcastic post that caused 50occer to post something that was out of bounds.

But, as CallingYouOut pointed out, a lot of people continued to post sarcastic remarks. This poster is right, you can take the high road and not respond further instead. Also, calling someone out because they don't know the difference between NPC and NPHC, if they new to the system is pretty trivial. I highly doubt that 95% of the non-greek population actually knows the difference.

Also, if I recall correctly, I remember two famous twins of a former president who also were members of a sorority, got caught using fake IDs when they were in college. And as a person who sorts resumes on a daily basis, I would not overlook a candidate for this, I would look at the whole person and their contributions, as I hope and greek organization would do.

Bottom line, taunting and talk-back is for bullies.

All of the issue on this thread are tied together. The NPC vs NPHC confusion matters a great deal in the answer to the question.

1st of all, NPHC intake isn't really discussed on here, so just posting it was problematic if that was what the OP really meant. And while we are pretty forgiving of clueless NPC PNMs, in the NPHC the burden of advanced research is on the aspirant member, who is encouraged to find out what he or she needs to in real life.
So that was actually, in the context to the responses the OP got, a very significant mistake.

2. Most NPC members do know that facing similar charges while a member might not be unheard of, but we also know that depending on the campus and the importance of recommendations and prior reputation that being arrested the semester before you went through recruitment might be enough to get you cut at the chapters who know it.

By the time this information was disclosed, the OP had already insulted the entire system.

It's just not the best example of why we should be a kinder, gentler GreekChat although I generally agree that we should.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by Jhawkalum

If you look back at this post, it was EPChick's sarcastic post that caused 50occer to post something that was out of bounds.

If you are trying to prove why we should all be "nicer" or whatever to newbies, my post isn't the one you should refer to. My comment did not cause the OP to call me and everyone else assholes.

[AGDLynn]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Each NPHC sorority has a memorandum of understanding with national and state law enforcement agencies which allows them to run your social security number (or sometimes just full name) through a database. This gives the sorority access to your police records. They WILL find out. Three out of the four immediately disqualify applicants for such offenses, and the fourth has pending legislation on the matter.

Good luck, though.

I am responding to the general question of running background checks on people. It is part of my job to deal with people who have had "background checks" based on name, social security numbers, etc.

Let me say this about validity.

Each state is different in what arrest records are released. In the State of Georgia, the only way to do a complete background check is when fingerprints are submitted. The requester can only get felony CONVICTION data without the person's consent. There is a specific form required to get the Georgia criminal history from a law enforcement agency. It does not include traffic and other non-fingerprintable arrest charges. Georgia does have a couple of programs where the arrest record is sealed but that doesn't apply to court records. Georgia doesn't have a rule an arrest charge will disappear automatically after X amount of time.

Just because a company like ChoicePoint, Lexis, CriminalHistoriesRUs, provide a criminal history doesn't mean that it is accurate. There are lots of people with similar names. Heck one time someone called because their last name and YEAR of birth were the same as the offender's.

Also, keep in mind that "3rd party vendor's" own employment application contains a statement that they are not responsible for errors!! What!! They are the ones collecting the info!!.

[tcsparky]

In Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, the Sheriff's department posts all arrests, the mug shot and charges on the public website for 2 years. You (the public) must go to the county clerk in person to find out the results of the trial (conviction, aquittal), but the arrest stays public for two years.

I know you're not in Mecklenburg County, but we can't be the only county in the nation to have this type of website.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by tcsparky

I know you're not in Mecklenburg County, but we can't be the only county in the nation to have this type of website.

As someone who does HR type work with usually not-so-upstanding citizens (and not-citizens) - I love that website.


And YAY for Sockpuppety Keyboard Courage.

[DubaiSis]

I love the response "calling you out." When I read the OP I thought there but by the grace of god. Of course, the fake ID I had didn't end up getting me in trouble, but I DID have one. And anyone here saying they never broke the law before joining a sorority, I don't buy it. Never had a beer once? Never took one hit off a joint? I know of a girl in high school who got arrested for public exposure (peeing in public while drunk... the cop allowed her to pick public exposure or underage drinking) and she spent 4 productive years in a sorority. I will bet you a dollar it never came up and wouldn't have mattered to the sorority anyway.

They won't look, there's no reason to mention it, and if it does come up and they do cut you because of it, c'est la vie. I still bet it wouldn't affect your options at EVERY house on campus even if somebody found out.

[kddani]

And don't forget, with many courts having online docketing systems, there's a lot of publicly available information out there. I can find out a lot about someone in Pennsylvania with very little effort and no money spent.

[KSUViolet06]

Geez, you sleep in and do some grocery shopping and you miss all the fun.

Good luck getting into a sorority with your criminal record.

Well, really, good luck applying for other things too.

[50ccerfan]

No, I just don't get why out of everyone that replied to this, only 2 people make sense in their replies? To ellebud and Senusret, I appreciate the info. Now to everyone else: maybe you should stop wasting thread space and get a life; you don't have to reply to EVERY thing that's posted just for kicks... I think I'm done now

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by 50ccerfan

I think I'm done now

Probably not. But we can hope.

[DrPhil]

The OP is dumber than this dumb LMN movie that I'm watching.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

The OP is dumber than this dumb LMN movie that I'm watching.

You know, that probably about the worst insult I can think of. And yet, as dumb as LMN movies are, you can't tear yourself away, can you?

[50ccerfan]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Geez, you sleep in and do some grocery shopping and you miss all the fun.

Good luck getting into a sorority with your criminal record.

Well, really, good luck applying for other things too.

it shows on my record for up to 6 months...after that im normal again. maybe ill just rush next school year then :/

[CutiePie2000]

Hopefully the whole thing gets dismissed.

A criminal record can prevent you from doing all sorts of things, including getting a job (particulary those where you are in a position of trust or confidentiality), getting into law school, and travelling to other countries for a vacation.

[tri deezy]

Lighten up! My little sister (biological) was arrested for the same thing and she's always been the angel of the family. She also graduated cum laude from an ivy league. Depending on where you live/ go to school, you might need an ID to basically have a life at all. My sister is a very respectable young woman and after her arrest she was able to get jobs at the Peace Corps, Sierra Club, and now a law firm just off wall street. To the OP- it can't hurt to try recruitment, like someone else said- just be honest