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Many students at Cuyahoga Community College are objecting to the decision of the college's Metro campus to refuse to let Maria Graciani continue her job as an "ambassador" -- in which she helped with orientation, campus tours and other activities -- because 16 years ago she was convicted of aggravated assault, The Plain Dealer of Cleveland reported. Graciani has served in the position successfully in the past, but the college recently started doing background checks on those in such jobs, and denied her the chance to continue as an ambassador this year. While college officials declined to talk about the decision, they have said that that they introduced the background checks to protect the safety of everyone on campus. Graciani's conviction stems from charges that, during a brawl, she hit a woman with a beer bottle. She said in an interview with the newspaper that someone else hit the woman, but that she pleaded guilty to avoid prison.
