Press Releases

August 24, 2009

Lucia Bone of The Sue Weaver CAUSE Speaks on Critical Screening Measures for Employers and Home Owners during Live Webinar

Complimentary presentation and interview to take place during National Safety and Security Week for business owners, hiring managers and consumer on topic "De-Mystifying Background Cehcks: What Every Person, Family and Business Needs to Know Right Now."

Sponsored by Kevin Connell, CEO & Founder of Sccu-Screen, Inc.

August 27, 2008

National campaign launched to protect consumers in their homes

(Dallas TX): A nationwide consumer safety campaign launched August 27, 2008, to identify companies who perform criminal background checks on workers sent into consumers’ homes.

The Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment (C.A.U.S.E.) Certification campaign was launched at a program at The Grotto in Highland Village. August 27, 2008 marked the seven year anniversary of the death of Sue Weaver, who was raped and beaten to death in her suburban Orlando home by a worker sent to her home to clean her air ducts. Although he was a twice-convicted sex offender on parole, the company did not do a background check before hiring him.

Sue’s sister Lucia Bone, a local resident, founded The Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E. in Sue’s memory. “Tragically, Sue’s murder is not an isolated case. Many consumers are assaulted and murdered each year by people whose jobs allow them access to their victims.”

“C.A.U.S.E. leads a national nonprofit campaign to educate employers and consumers to the necessity of criminal background checks and to promote C.A.U.S.E. Certification,” she said. “The C.A.U.S.E. Team, including Andrew Prescott, Partner, Nixon Peabody, LLP, has worked very hard for the last two years carefully developing C.A.U.S.E. Certification.  The program has already been so well received that even prior to Launch, we had received applications to become CAUSE Certified from service providers employing more than 650 in-home workers in seven.”

“We have to educate the public about hiring practices. Bonded and insured does not mean a criminal background check has been performed on the workers. C.A.U.S.E. Certification is designed to offer safety conscious consumers a means of identifying service companies that take their safety seriously.  It also offers service providers a means to hire and promote safer employees, contractors, and subcontractors. As a result, it will better protect both consumers and businesses,” Bone added. “C.A.U.S.E. Certification is a program that very well may have saved Sue’s life!”

The message is already resonating with consumer and civic groups. The Cities of Flower Mound, Lewisville and Highland Village, Texas, each have declared August 27, 2008, “C.A.U.S.E. Certification Day.” Mayor Dianne Costa, City of Highland Village, said citizens have to be aware of whom they are hiring to work in their home.

“I think there is a false sense of security when someone comes and we assume that it’s safe because they wear a uniform,” Mayor Costa said. “Just because you trust the company you hire, it doesn’t mean the employees they send into your home are not convicted felons.”

 “Our homes should be our sanctuaries – they should feel like the safest place in the world.” Texas Governor Rick Perry wrote in his recent letter to The Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E.

For more information and to apply for C.A.U.S.E. Certification, please visit www.SueWeaverCAUSE.org.