Policies And Procedures
Gateway Burners Board Succession Process
Gateway Burners Policy Statement regarding Registered Sex Offenders
While Radical Inclusion is a driving principle within our community, with regards to populations
restricted legally from interacting with minors we must also consider another principle. That of
Civic Responsibility. This principle states community members who organize events also assume
responsibility for public welfare and endeavor to communicate civic responsibilities to
participants. They must also assume responsibility for conducting events in accordance with
local, state and federal laws. The nature of this principle is such that where the question of
attendance by those on a Sex Offender Registry, the Board of Directors for Gateway Burners has
developed the following policy.
Those who are required to report to a Chief Law Enforcement Office with regards to the Sex
Offender Registry but would still like to participate in officially sanctioned Gateway Burners events
are required to report to the Board of Directors for Gateway Burners at least three months prior
to the event. They may do so by emailing the board at board@gatewayburners.org . If
someone on the Sex Offender Registry does not report to the board prior to the event and it is
disclosed at the gate of the event, the person will not be admitted to the event as due diligence
was unable to be performed. If the person is already in attendance at the event, they will be
ejected from the event. After the event has concluded, the Board and Principle’s Office will begin
the review process to determine attendance at future events.
The process where the Board and the Principle’s Office review eligibility to attend is considered
on a case-by-case basis. The information disclosed to the Board and the Principle’s Office will be
held in confidence whenever possible, however the outcome of the investigation may need to
result in a statement to the community which will be sent to the person prior to release. The
willingness of the person to provide information for consideration will impact the ability of the
Board and Principle’s Office to make an informed decision. Unwillingness to provide information
in a timely manner will result in a restriction from attending events. Information will be gathered
from the reporting individual and any other relevant parties. The Board and Principle’s Office will
work together to obtain the following information:
· Is the person on a Sex Offender Registry? Federal or State? What State?
· Was a minor involved in the incident? Is that minor a community member?
· Is the person in therapy or other rehabilitation program? Voluntary or Mandated?
· Has there been an issue at a Gateway Burners events?
· Has there been an issue at any other events we are aware of?
· Are there relevant persons we should interview?
· Is there any supporting documentation available to clarify the incident?
· Has online research been performed for case information / registry information?
Once all the above information is gathered a conduct committee will be convened to review all the
information and determine if and under what constraints the person may attend the event. This
information will be conveyed to the person in question and when applicable a statement will be
issued to the community.
We understand that sometimes a person can land on a registry for something that is mild in
nature (i.e. public urination), so the Board and Principle’s Office will review each person’s
situation on a case-by-case basis. However, to give some framework to this policy and since our
events are held in the state of Missouri, our policy is built around the framework of the Missouri
Registry Requirements as of August 28, 2018. Although the tier system provides a base
framework, each person’s situation will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Offenders on
registries in other states will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
The state of Missouri registers offenders in three Tiers:
1) “Tier I offenders have a 15-years registration requirement and shall report to the Chief Law
Enforcement Officer (CLEO) in person in the month of the offender’s birth.”
Providing that the person under review is forthcoming with information regarding their
case, there is a possibility the person will be permitted to attend with some restrictions
regarding their involvement with the population they are restricted by law from interacting
with.
2) “Tier II offenders have a 25-year registration requirement and shall report to the CLEO in
person semiannually in the month of the offender’s birth and 6 months thereafter.”
Providing that the person under review is forthcoming with information regarding their
case, there is a slight chance the person will be permitted to attend with definite
restrictions regarding their involvement with the population they are restricted by law from
interacting with.
3) “Tier III offenders have a lifetime registration requirement and shall report to the CLEO in
person every 90-days. Tier III offenders are not eligible to file petition for removal from the sex
offender registry, unless the requirement to register results from an adjudicated delinquent
(juvenile) adjudication, after 25 years, and the clean record removal is met.”
Due to the extreme nature of this tier of offenders, there is little chance the person will be
permitted to attend as there is little possibility of maintaining all the legal boundaries
required for this level of offender. However, the case will be reviewed by the Board or
Principle’s Office to make a determination.
Disclaimer: Any legal parameters for those on the registry are required to maintain could preclude their ability to attend officially sanctioned Gateway Burners events. For example, if an offender is required to stay “at least 500 feet away from a minor” this is no longer a matter the Board of Directors or Principles Office can take under consideration. It is unrealistic to expect that perimeter be able to be maintained at our all ages events.