South Carolina bouncer's arrest highlights background check loophole

A flaw in the background screening procedures of a nightclub in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was recently brought to light with the arrest of one of its employees, according to WMBF-TV. James Charles Meininger, who is accused of burglary in Pennsylvania, is currently being held in South Carolina pending extradition to the state where he allegedly committed the offense. Meininger worked as a bouncer at Froggy Bottomz nightclub at Broadway at the Beach. The club's operator, Celebrations, also runs three other venues in the area. Although Celebrations runs a criminal history background investigation on each of its staff, representatives from the company were unaware of the warrant for Meininger's arrest. "If a business runs a criminal background check and something happens after that, then the employer won't see that at all," local attorney Kirk Truslow explained to the news source. Although many companies conduct a pre employment background check on job candidates, they often don't continue to administer periodic screenings after an employee is hired. A different failing was recently uncovered in Massachusetts, according to WFXT-TV. The news source found that the state's employee background check system only checks for a criminal history within the state, allowing out-of-state convictions to fly under the radar.