Well, if we had those charges, but were off of the registry, it would be better because if you are approved with your charges but not approved later because of the registry, that seems no fair. So let us off these damn registries and maybe jobs could be filled.

But instead, many of us have to be on food stamps, social security or disability just to survive due to not being able to get a job or getting one and then getting let go after someone complains and makes a stink big enough to force us out.

Where you write that April Watson’s appointment generated “intense community and regional backlash,” what source(s) are you looking at? Was her appointment pulled?

Well….this is what is being said online:

Protests and public outrage over individuals with sex offender histories being appointed to or running for government positions often erupt when community trust is violated. Recent high-profile examples of this issue highlight how local governments, labor unions, and elected offices handle such controversies:

1. Florida Town Manager Appointment
The Event: The town council in Jay, Florida unanimously appointed April Watson, a registered sex offender, as the town manager. She pleaded no contest in 2010 to three charges of unlawful sexual activity with minors.

The Backlash: The appointment generated intense community and regional backlash. Mayor Shon Owens publicly defended the decision, stating that she was “the right person for the job” and had the council’s confidence, despite residents’ concerns over her criminal history.

2. Fresno City Council Candidate
The Event: Rene Campos, a registered sex offender with a conviction for child sexual abuse material, launched a campaign for the Fresno City Council in District 7.

The Backlash: The candidacy sparked community fury and widespread debate, with local school officials contacting police after Campos held a news conference feet away from a public elementary school. In response, five city council members pledged to support a ban on registered sex offenders holding seats on the council. Ultimately, Campos failed to qualify to appear on the official primary ballot.

3. Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
The Event: The San Francisco chapter of the SEIU hired Noelia Linares, who was previously charged in 2017 with sex crimes against minors at a high school, to serve as a business agent.

The Backlash: The hiring drew national outrage and prompted the House Education and Workforce Committee to launch a congressional investigation into the union’s hiring practices. Following the committee’s inquiries, the union chapter terminated Linares.

I guess, only three cases doesn’t paint an accurate depiction, but, I kind of concur that there is always a backlash whenever a RSO is trying to move forward in any position within the government, that be a local or state.

Registered women from among our membership may view things differently.

I’m not aware of any pressure to remove her.

FAC, as much as I respect your advocacy, you still have to face reality. With as much media attention as this is getting it won’t be long before the mayor will be backed into a corner and will be forced to remove this woman.

I added a PFR-positive comment.
Please everybody do the same (if you haven’t already).
We CAN sway minds!

I was thinking the same thing

wouldn’t it be ironic if her new place of employment was in an exclusion zone!