Can students evaluate qualifications and accept a person as their teacher?

Assuming students are unenlightened, how can students have the chance to evaluate qualifications and accept a person as their teacher? For example, recently there have been more sexual misconduct issues with famous teachers, such as Sogyal Rinpoche. Obviously, the students here were unable to evaluate the teacher. What is the method for students to evaluate qualifications and accept a person as their teacher? How can a person that knows very little of the Buddha's teaching evaluate if a person is a Buddha?