New legislation makes dorm rooms safer in Tennessee

The mother of a University of Tennessee-Chattanooga student recently expressed concern over the lack of valid background checks for resident assistants. As a result, new state legislation was passed that requires any person who has access to student rooms to undergo background screenings before they are hired, according to Employment Screening Resources. The law will go into effect on July 1. The former UT-Chattanooga RA has previously been convicted of charges including burglary, arson, harassment and stalking. He was also accused of hiding surveillance cameras in the female dormitories - including the room of Kristen Azevedo, the daughter of the concerned mother. "These students were under very serious threat of harm," Tennessee state senator Dolores Gresham tells the Jackson Sun. "This offender had an extensive and alarming history of crimes against women." ESR points out that it's not uncommon for prominent college students to have unchecked criminal backgrounds. A joint investigation in 2010 by Sports Illustrated and CBS News found that of the nearly 3,000 players they ran background checks on, 7 percent had criminal records, while only two of the schools performed screenings. The Sun adds that the new RA legislation will be named after Azevedo.