Some people are applauding a growing trend where schools permanently mark students’ transcripts if they’ve been punished for sexual misconduct.
The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers estimates that around 15 percent of colleges in the country include notations on student transcripts if they’ve been found guilty of a sex offense. Two states, New York and Virginia, require that schools mention a student has been punished for sexual assault.
The AACRAO recently changed its policy from opposing transcript marking to suggesting schools consider it.
The marking has gained support from victims’ advocates who argue it improves student safety, in part by allowing colleges to know if they’re admitting a sexual predator, according to NPR.
Opponents of the idea argue it turns students into “pariahs” that other schools won’t touch.
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“This is essentially public shaming in its worst form,” says Attorney Justin Dillon, who has represented dozens of students accused of sexual assault.
Dillon says he’s seen his clients get rejected from countless schools because of the marking and pointed to the varying policies used in campus tribunals. Future employers may also ask for college transcripts, Dillon says, meaning colleges would be branding students for life.
There’s no easy solution for schools, who have been sued by sexual assault victims and students found to be guilty of sexual assault.
