New Pasadena City College president says sex offenders should be allowed on campus

There has been a big brouhaha recently over the fact that a registered sex offender was allowed to play on the PCC football team. The university, as a matter of fact, put the coach on administrative leave until they decided how to handle the issue.

But that could be changing. The incoming president of California's community college system, Sen. Jack Scott of Pasadena, said Wednsday, according to PCC's paper, that sex offenders should be given the chance to attend the school.

"I'm a strong believer in second chances. If someone has served his time and is deemed worthy to reenter society, a public school should not prevent that person from obtaining an education," said Scott

It isn't a popular stance, but a fully reasonable one: is it better for sex offenders to go live under a bridge only to emerge in the dark of night? Especially considering that community colleges are not exactly teeming with underage children.

Also, I have to commend the paper for getting the story on this- some may know I teach at PCC, and some of my former students work there, so it is nice to see them do good work.

The meeting mentioned in the article that Scott was speaking at, by the way, was a faculty seminar that I would have been required to attend if it was scheduled on a Tuesday or Thursday (my class days). Sounds like Scott said just about the first interesting thing I have ever heard at one of those events.

UPDATE: Thanks to a commenter for pointing out that Scott is, in fact, the upcoming president of the entire state community college system, not PCC. Changed above.