OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – (February 16, 2017) – In January, Oklahoma State University took the necessary steps to implement a truly impartial background screening process – partnering with Validity Screening Solutions (www.validityscreening.com) to conduct independent background checks on all incoming student athletes. “It’s what they do for a living,” says Brandon Meyer, OSU’s senior associate athletic director and legal counsel when interviewed by Nathan Ruiz with the Daily O’Collegian. “I’m not a background-searching expert,” he continued.
Collegiate athletic programs recruit thousands of student athletes every year. Not all of these athletes, however, undergo background screening beyond assessments and interviews traditionally performed by coaching staff. This results in concerns of impartiality as well as transparency – bringing into light the need for an independent third-party screening solution.
OSU’s decision to institute independent third-party background checks comes as no surprise to Darren Dupriest, President and CEO of Validity Screening Solutions. “We continue to see incidents on and off-campus at different schools that could have been avoided had a proper screening process been in place,” said Dupriest. “In the case of Oklahoma State, they are taking very crucial steps to ensure that they don’t see an incident like this and continue to maintain a professional and reputable athletic department.”
Proper screening of student athletes has become a widely discussed topic following multiple high-profile incidents at fellow Big 12 schools Oklahoma and Baylor. A Dallas Morning News report revealed a lawsuit from a former Baylor student alleging that Baylor football players committed more than 50 acts of rape over a 4-year period. Several of these student athletes had previous off-field issues prior to arriving at Baylor.
With only two percent of all collegiate athletic departments conducting third-party background checks on incoming student athletes, the practice of independent student athlete screening is expected to increase dramatically. “While the athletic department at OSU was initially unsure whether using an independent third-party would be worth the investment, the peace-of-mind within the athletic department and across campus is crucial,” said Dupriest. “More schools should take note of what OSU is doing to ensure a healthy athletic department.”
About Validity Screening Solutions
Validity Screening Solutions, located in Overland Park, Kansas, provides compliance focused employment screening, drug testing, and hiring technology to organizations who want to hire confidently. Since 1992, Validity has offered a streamlined and cost-effective approach to employment screening by using the latest technology and compliance standards. For more information about Validity Screening Solutions, visit www.ValidityScreening.com or call 866.915.0792.