
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 18, 1990                   TAG: 9003182330
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG                                 LENGTH: Medium

CHURCH DAY-CARE WORKERS TO UNDERGO BACKGROUND CHECKS

A Lynchburg pastor's convictions of sexually abusing young boys in Virginia Beach led to a new law requiring criminal background checks on workers in church-based child day-care centers.

Sen. Elliot Schewel, D-Lynchburg, backed the proposal at the 1990 General Assembly after city officials told him a police background check of the Rev. Terence M. Sykes of Shekijah Preparation Assembly Church revealed three criminal convictions in August 1983.

The Shekijah Preparation Assembly Church received a conditional use permit Nov. 14, 1989, from city council and seeks a license or a religious-exemption certificate from the Virginia Department of Social Services to open a day-care center.

Schewel's amendment, which does not become law until July 1, 1992, requires employees, volunteers and "any other person officially involved in the operations of the facility in which the center is located" to undergo a criminal check.

The new law, however, will not give the Department of Social Services authority to review police checks before granting a religious exemption from Virginia's licensing requirements.

Under the new law, licensed and religiously exempted centers must refuse employment to any job applicant convicted of murder, abduction for immoral purposes, failing to secure medical attention for an injured child, pandering, crimes against nature involving children, taking indecent liberties with children, neglect of children or obscenity offenses.

But the law will not prevent a pastor with a criminal record from opening a day-care center. The Department of Social Services evaluates criminal background checks of people before granting a Virginia license to non-exempted day-care applicants.

Walter Erwin, Lynchburg's deputy city attorney, said a citizen complained about Sykes after learning his church received a conditional use permit to eventually open a day-care center for as many as 20 children.

Erwin and Lynchburg City Police Chief Joseph M. Seiffert said a background check found that Sykes had been convicted in Virginia Beach on three counts of aggravated sexual battery when he was a public school teacher.

Sykes said Monday he'll have no contact with the day-care center, which will be located on church property.

"It's privately owned day care of the church," Sykes said. "I'm just the pastor of the church. That's a privately run matter, and I'd rather not comment further."

Virginia Beach court records show that Sykes pleaded innocent and maintained in correspondence to the judge in the cases that he was innocent.

A Portsmouth social worker said in 1984 court records that Sykes "appears to continue to be a threat to repeat similar behaviors in the future."

by CNB