Although the laws and regulations of most Australian States mandate that teachers may be dismissed on the grounds of disgraceful or improper conduct, it is left to teachers' registration boards to determine whether a teacher applicant should be registered or an existing teacher deregistered given criminal charges or convictions. The complexities of such decisions can be illustrated in the examples of a teacher who embezzled school funds, one who seduced a number of his students, and one convicted of breaking and entering to obtain addictive drugs. Some issues that the South Australian Teacher Registration Board considered in these cases were the recency of the offense, whether the teacher had any other criminal record, and evidence that in all other respects the teacher was a 'fit and proper person.' A particularly difficult issue is the handling of cases where teachers have been charged with a crime but not yet found guilty. Should these teachers retain their positions until guilt is determined? Current procedures for handling the complex issues involved in these cases are inadequate. Some benchmarks must be established to balance the rights of teachers with the safety of children and the good standing of the teaching profession.