LITTLE ROCK, Ark. June 7 2018 – A long-time security guard for the Little Rock School District is out of a job and without his security license. He says it’s all because of a crime he committed nearly 30 years ago that was taken off his record.

The security guard pled guilty to a felony in 1992. After being on probation for about five years, the judge cleared his record. Since then, he says, he’s never been in trouble with the law again.

Bert Gatlin says he’s worked as a security guard at the Little Rock School District for 22 years.

He says since he was first in trouble with the law, 27 years ago, his attorney says he’s never been in trouble again, not even getting a traffic ticket. Now, he says he’s out of a career for a crime that happened in the early ’90s.

Gatlin compares the loss of his job to the loss of close loved ones.

“It was like losing my mother and my sister. It was real rough,” he says. “It’s been a nightmare.”

In Gatlin’s two decades with the LRSD, he most recently worked at Henderson Middle School.

He says that was until a few weeks ago when he was abruptly let go because the Arkansas State Police revoked his security guard license.

He says he applied for a part-time security guard job and it was flagged because of his 1992 case.

“27 years later there’s been no problem with him. No criminal record. Not even a traffic ticket,” says attorney Gregg Almand.

“I’m judged over again. It’s like I’m in court again. It was rough. It was rough, but I’m going to get through it,” Gatlin adds.

His lawyer says in 2015 the Arkansas legislature passed a law that says a felon can’t be a school security officer.

Even though Gatlin has been one for two decades and was only a few years away from retirement, he’s now jobless.

“He’s shown that was a one-time mistake, for the rest of his life, and yet he’s being penalized for it now,” Almand continues.

“I’m trying to do the right thing. When you’re young you do stupid stuff, but as you get older you learn from mistakes and you try to make it better,” Gatlin says.

Gatlin wants his security license so he can get back to what he loves to do.

“Protect those kids and love them and keep everybody safe at the schools. That’s what I want to do,” Gatlin says.

Gatlin and his attorney have appealed to the Arkansas State Police (ASP).

Today, the ASP sent a statement. It says:

Mr. Gatlin’s license was revoked, however, there is an appeal order pending that is being drafted following his appearance before the regulatory section administrative staff last month. Without addressing the specific circumstances of any license holder, a sealed record does not prevent law enforcement from inspecting the court case files for purposes of considering a license to act as a security guard or private investigator.

FOX16

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