Indiana University and athletic director Fred Glass introduced a new policy instituting a ban on any prospective athlete who has a record of sexual violence.
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The ban is for felonies only, so any incoming freshman or transfer who has been convicted of sexual violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, or rape will not be allowed to attend the university.
Related: Former Kansas star accused of domestic violence
Here's an excerpt of the policy:
"Any prospective student-athlete — whether a transfer student, incoming freshman, or other status — who has been convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to a felony involving sexual violence (as defined below), or has been found responsible for sexual violence by a formal institutional disciplinary action at any previous collegiate or secondary school (excluding limited discipline applied by a sports team or temporary disciplinary action during an investigation) shall not be eligible for athletically-related financial aid, practice or competition at Indiana University."
Any misdemeanor convictions or other charges that are dropped aren't included in the new policy.
The policy goes on to detail how background checks will be completed on any prospective athlete before they are allowed to enroll on campus.
The policy has some gray area for how the school will evaluate certain cases. Even with players who have extremely troubled backgrounds, their case can be reviewed by a panel at Indiana who deems whether that candidate should be allowed in school.
The policy should be effective in determining how the school treats players with violent pasts, but it still leaves a lot of gray area for borderline candidates.
Either way, it's a step in the right direction, and other schools across the country could follow suit in the near future.
(h/t Crimson Quarry)
