This new rule is called "Fingerprinting". (Hope ya' don't mind if I borrow this drea ^_^;)

"The policy of the Diocese of Orange states that volunteers will be disqualified from their ministry setting involving regular contact with minors if a criminal background check indicates the existence of a prior conviction for one of the following categories of crimes:
* a conviction for any sex offense included in the penal code
* a conviction for possession or possession for sale related to narcotics
* a conviction for a violent or serious felony (generally a horrific or violent crime)
* a finding of insanity as part of a criminal proceeding

In the event of such a disqualifying conviction, the pastor will be contacted with the information that there is a disqualifying conviction and the person will be removed from any ministry involving minors.

All volunteers having regular and consistent contact with minors are required to:

* Complete a fingerprint criminal history background check
* Receive and read the Diocesan Sexual Misconduct Policy and return a signed acknowledgment to the parish
The process using the Live Scan technology takes only a few minutes. After filling out an information form, the individual places the palm of the hand on a glass screen while an electronic image of fingerprints is taken.
The results are returned to the Diocese within four hours to a week later. In order to protect individual privacy, each person will be assigned a parish code."

Basically it's mainly for school events and all of that stuff.  Yes that's understandable as anyone could see. (to see more about this wonderful rule, ya' can check here: http://www.rcbo.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=119&Itemid=58 {note: copy and paste the link})

But apparently, one of the administrators at Connelly has fucked up on the interpretation of this rule.  So now the way Connelly interprets this rule is that any person who comes in any contact with a student must be fingerprinted.  Whether it's for school events (graduation, choir trips,  etc.), dropping off/picking up your own kids at school, or just coming onto the school grounds to drop something off at the office. You must be fingerprinted or you're not able to talk to the students on campus.

So now, the school has told Dehn about this rule sometime last week. The school told Dehn that he was able to only have two parents fingerprinted as the main chaperones.  Then the next day the school called him saying basically, "Oh sorry Dehn! We want ALL OF THE PARENTS fingerprinted instead! Ontop of that, we need them all by Thursday so kthx bye!" Dehn argued with the school administrators for over a hour and a half about this damn rule.  The school's not going to do anything about it and they don't care. So right now all of the parents are rushing around to get fingerprinted and trying to turn it in by tomorrow.  If the parents don't turn in their fingerprints, then the school is going to cancel our San Diego trip.

What the school didn't realize (or if they did, they're stupid to figure out) was that they're the ones who are reimbursing the parents who get fingerprinted. So...that means the school will have to spend around $500 - $700 in total for reimbursing.  I wonder how much the school will have to pay for reimbursing people who go to things like Grandparents' Day or even Galaxy of Stars...God why is my school idiotic? Oh but wait there's more!

Apparently none of the school faculty except for Dehn and the school admin. has even heard or know a good amount of detail about this damn rule.  None of the school administrators are going to tell the teachers since they said, "It's not my problem." Right now Dehn is frustrated and really stressed (>_>; I just hope his spinal meningitis thing doesn't act up...) along with all of the choir parents protesting. *sighs* And I ask again, Why is my school so screwed up and horrible at interpretation skills?