I happen to agree with this decision. A person should not automatically be disqualified for a job because of a criminal conviction. The type of crime committed, the length of time that has passed, and whether it is relevent to the job all need to be considered along with experience, performance, etc. I do support doing background checks once a job candidate has been selected. This is the point at which a final decision can be made.
Who said anything about automatic disqualification?