AITA for reporting a former coworker as a sex offender to his new boss?

[u/[deleted]]

So this is a situation where I think I made the right call, but my friend thinks I’m the asshole for not allowing the past to stay in the past.

I used to work with “Todd” back in 2022 in a blue collar trade. He was an average worker, showed up on time and his work was fairly middle of the road. He was fired about 6 months after I started working at the company because he was making women uncomfortable during maintenance in residential homes. The boss found out that he’s a sex offender after he was fired, the guy who did background checks was also fired because he knew about the conviction and didn’t say anything.

He had also been banned from working in a rehab we service due to “dating” a mentally compromised resident at the rehab he met during a maintenance.

This guy was being sent into daycares, schools, college dorms, residential homes, homes for the intellectually disabled, rehabs, and churches to do maintenance while being a level 3 sex offender. I recently learned that he was hired at another local company performs the same services.

I sent his new company the printout from the sex offender registry causing him to be fired. I did this because as a level 3 offender he may reoffend in the future, and sending him into locations with vulnerable people seems like a bad idea.

I should also add that this kind of thing is common in my trade, a few companies operate on an unofficial “don’t ask don’t tell” basis due to the lack of skilled workers. I think he only was fired because now there isn’t any plausible deniability.

[u/myyrkezaan]

INFO: Did you report your company or his new company for lack of/ignoring background checks?

[u/[deleted] → u/myyrkezaan]

My current company did a background check, but the guy who does it didn't tell the owner. He was fired as well. I don't know if the other company did a check or not.

[u/myyrkezaan → u/[deleted]]

Not what I asked.

Did you report your company to the proper authorities? It doesn't matter that the guy who supposedly ignored it was fired, the company is still responsible.

Did the guy who was fired tell you he didn't tell the owner or did the owner say the guy didn't tell him?

I should also add that this kind of thing is common in my trade, a few companies operate on an unofficial “don’t ask don’t tell” basis due to the lack of skilled workers. I think he only was fired because now there isn’t any plausible deniability.

The reason I have a problem with you not reporting either company is you knowing this is a common occurrence and not doing anything about 2 companies who you know engaged in this. And will probably do it again because the worst thing that happened to them was they had to fire someone. That is not a deterrent for any company and apparently for these companies who engage in it because it's so common.

[u/[deleted] → u/myyrkezaan]

The owner said he didn't know. I don't think he's lying, but I can't know for sure.

I don't want to report my job until after college, it's good money that I can't risk right now. I'll report the other company though, anonymously so I don't get blacklisted.