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 The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law said it began
contacting 17 schools in the South on Thursday about their practice
of asking prospective students to detail interactions with the
criminal justice system even if they have not been convicted.
The organization believes schools nationally have similar policies
that may disproportionately affect minority males.
"Inquiries regarding stops and detentions and arrests pose
unnecessary barriers for vast numbers of African Americans, given
the racial disparities that we see across our criminal justice
system," said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of
the nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.
 She said asking about such interactions, some of which may have been
dismissed by courts, has "no predictive value whatsoever on whether
or not a kid can succeed in a classroom."
One institution singled out was the University of Alabama, which
asks if applicants have received "a written or oral warning not to
trespass on public or private property."
The university has included "disciplinary-related questions" on
applications since 2010, officials said. They noted the school's
African-American student admission numbers rose by 77 percent
between 2010 and 2015.
"These questions are appropriate and part of the due diligence we
perform to determine whether an applicant’s past behavior could
potentially pose a safety risk," the University of Alabama said in a
statement.
The university also noted that students who flag such discipline are
given an opportunity to explain.
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Virginia Tech, another university asked to explain its policy, said
it began asking applicants about their disciplinary record after a
student gunned down 32 people on campus and killed himself on April
16, 2007.
"These questions are part of a holistic approach in selecting
qualified applicants for undergraduate admission," the university
said in a statement. "We do not believe this is racially
discriminatory."
The lawyers' group said its review of dozens of schools'
applications forms found that many institutions do not ask about
every run-in with the law.
The organization started its effort in the South, which has high
minority concentrations, but said it would be extended nationally.
"I think that this is a problem that is pervasive across the
country," Clarke said.
(Reporting by Letitia Stein; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and David
Gregorio)
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