44 THE QUEENS COURIER • CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS • JANUARY 24, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Catholic High Schools
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A commitment to safety and excellence at local schools
Th e Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens
remains committed to ensuring that all
Catholic schools in both boroughs are
safe environments for children and youth.
Th e diocese reaches out to all clergy,
religious, lay instructors and volunteers
and ensures that all are in compliance
with regulations set forth by Bishop
Nicholas DiMarzio, as well as state guidelines.
As part of this eff ort, the Diocese of
Brooklyn has a Safe Environment Offi ce
which ensures that all Catholic schools
and churches fulfi ll the bishop’s guidelines
and the diocese’s promise to protect
children and youth through the
mission and example set forth by Jesus
Christ.
One of the mandates is that all clergy,
religious and lay instructors and volunteers
attend a VIRTUS workshop, a threehour
live awareness session instructing
adults on methods to protect children
through continued awareness and vigilance.
Th e participants in these sessions
learn the warning signs of child sexual
abuse, the methods and means by which
off enders commit abuse and empowerment
steps designed to stop child sexual
abuse from occurring.
All clergy, employees and volunteers are
also mandated to read and the Diocese
Code of Conduct and sign a Statement
of Acknowledgment, both of which are
distributed at the VIRTUS sessions.
Th e Code of Conduct acknowledges the
importance of legal, professional and
responsible conduct of all who work with
children and young people. Copies of the
Code of Conduct are available on the diocese’s
website, dioceseofb rooklyn.org.
All employees and volunteers are also
required to undergo a thorough criminal
background screening before they start
their employment or service. Th e searches
are conducted through LexisNexis (for
volunteers) or HireRight (for employees).
All information is kept confi dential;
if a background check reveals something
nefarious, the pastor/administrator
of a parish will be notifi ed, and appropriate
steps will be taken.
Background checks will be rerun every
three years for employees and every fi ve
years for volunteers.
Learn more about the Diocese’s Offi ce of
Safe Environment at dioceseofb rooklyn.
org/protecting-children/offi ce-of-safe-environment.
— From the Diocese of Brooklyn
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/rooklyn.org
