STATEMENT FOR MEDIA

April 9, 2022

YMCA of South Palm Beach County

ISAAC GABRIEL YUNES

We recently learned that a former YMCA of South Palm Beach County employee, Isaac Gabriel Yunes, was
charged by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office with several counts of child pornography. We are currently
unaware of any alleged inappropriate conduct occurring at the Y.

Yunes was employed as a part-time child watch counselor from 2014 until 2019. All pre-employment checks
conducted on Yunes came back clean; there was no cause for concern in his background, nor were there any
disciplinary issues during his tenure with the YMCA of South Palm Beach County. Yunes successfully completed
the required child abuse prevention training.

We were deeply saddened and disturbed to learn of this situation. The Y will fully support the police in their
investigation and prosecution.

The YMCA of South Palm Beach County stands committed to providing a safe environment to every person who
enters our doors, most importantly children who are entrusted to our care. We have a series of measures in
place to keep kids safe. Specifically, the YMCA of South Palm Beach County:

 conducts National Sex Offender Registry checks at time of hire and annually on all staff regardless of
continuous employment;
 conducts Level 2 background check involves a national fingerprint-based check and a comprehensive
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and FBI checks;
 conducts State & County Criminal Record Checks (felony and misdemeanor) at time of hire;
 conducts Social Security verification, and address history check at time of hire;
 conducts interviews and work history checks prior to hiring;
 conducts three reference checks for all applicants;
 requires all staff to complete training on preventing, recognizing and responding to abuse;
 prohibits staff from being alone with a child where they cannot be observed by others;
 reports any allegations or suspicions of abuse to the proper authorities in accordance with State law;
 completes a comprehensive child abuse prevention self-assessment through Praesidium every two
years;
 conducts screenings of all members against the National Sex Offender Registry and terminates all
memberships that return positive.

The YMCA of South Palm Beach County takes pride in providing safe places for children to grow in skills and
self-confidence. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by this situation. We will continue
reviewing our staff and volunteer training policies to ensure they align with best-in-class practices.

YMCA of South Palm Beach County

6631 Palmetto Circle South
Boca Raton, FL 33433
P 561 395 9622
YMCASPBC.ORG