SUZANNE MALIS-ANDERSEN TESTIMONY
Testimony before The Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs
by Suzanne Malis-Andersen, Veazie
Wednesday, April 11,2001
State Office Building, Augusta, Maine
Senator Mitchell, Representative Richard , and Committee members,
My name is Suzanne Malis-Andersen .I live in Veazie and I taught
for 14 years before losing my certification. I lost my certification to
teach because I refused to be fingerprinted. After multiple years of devoted
service, I had to suddenly prove that I was not a convicted pedophile. This
was a violation of my principles and integrity.
I spent a great deal of my personal time last year attending hearings
regarding the fingerprinting issue. Time and time again two statements were
repeated. One that confidentiality was guaranteed and the other that the
only way to locate out-of-state convicted pedophiles was to fingerprint.
Now we are faced with the promise of confidentiality broken. The Chief of
Maine State Police has disclosed to the public that 1324 school employees
have criminal records. Now all fingerprinted personnel have been cast under
a shadow of doubt. The proposed amendment LD1765 with its vague data will
only darken the shadow.
The primary reason for this law was to locate out-of-state convicted
pedophiles. This amendment will not reveal that data, it will only
strengthen the aura of a witch-hunt. Why continue to waste tax dollars on a
population that protects rather than abuses children? (teachers account for
less than .2 of 1% of abuses). I would like to quote from Duke Albaneses's
informational letter #33 - "Over 27,000 people have been fingerprinted and
for the most part the process has been smooth. Almost all of those records
indicate that we have a law-abiding workforce in Maine public schools. In
fact, school personnel as a population are more law-abiding than the general
population." Yet this attack on one of our basic legal principles - innocent
until proven guilty - continues.
The price of this fingerprinting law is too high. I am one of 60
teachers who have refused to be fingerprinted in the midst of a serious
teacher shortage. It is time to repeal this law and fund programs that
actually work to prevent child-abuse. Thank You.