January 1, Background Checks Miss Danger In School Hiring

Wyatt’s Take

• Background checks failed to catch red flags in teacher hiring
• A suspect with a violent past entered classrooms without detection
• Middle America parents need tougher protections for children

There is a harsh truth parents can’t ignore: school background checks let a murder suspect slip through the cracks and work as a teacher in several states. This case shows why every mom and dad needs to ask tough questions about who watches their kids.

Andrew James McGann, just 28 years old, is now accused of killing Clinton and Cristen Brink in Devil’s Den State Park, Arkansas. But before his arrest, McGann was teaching in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. He passed every legal background check.

Law enforcement booked him on two counts of capital murder. Records say he was arrested at a barbershop in late July. The shock comes because this man moved freely between four different school districts in three states, teaching fourth and fifth grade along the way. Not once did a background check set off alarms.

One district in Texas said McGann resigned after concerns about his management and judgment, but staff “found no evidence of inappropriate behavior.” Even parents picked up on strange vibes. One told reporters, “He wouldn’t look at me really, wouldn’t talk to me. He would only really talk to the kids and he would just walk away. I don’t know, it was a strange interaction.”

Photos released from detention centers and state police sketch the picture of McGann’s odd path through America’s public school system.

Former FBI agent Bill Daly shined a light on the real problem. He said, “Not all background checks are kind of created equal. It can vary depending upon state and locality … they may not be able to spend that much money doing a background check.” Daly explained that quick searches in broad databases just don’t catch everything, missing little signs—”leakage,” as he called it—that could hint at deeper issues.

Daly also pointed out how unusual it is for a teacher to bounce around this much. States have trouble sharing info, letting people dodge scrutiny just by moving. “It is quite kind of interesting from an investigative standpoint, the fact that he has moved around fairly frequently to different states who may or may not be able to kind of share information more fluidly,” he said.

McGann’s teaching licenses in Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma show no marks or suspensions—on paper, he looked clean. He even got hired in a new Arkansas school, but his arrest came before classes started. The district told reporters, “Our entire team extends our deepest condolences to the Brink family.”

As the next school year starts, Daly says parents should press for details on hiring. “I think parents are certainly well-advised to ask those questions, among many other questions, about what happens in schools and school safety where they send their children.” He’s right. School leaders also need to take a “more sober look at their background check process” so nothing like this happens again.

Wyatt Matters

Every family in Middle America wants their children safe at school. When background checks fail, it puts our faith in the system on the line. We need tougher standards and transparency in hiring—no more trusting blind systems that leave our kids vulnerable. Parents and school leaders must demand real accountability to keep our communities safe and strong.

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