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Two U.S. senators have introduced a bill that would require colleges and universities to post incidents and history of hazing on their websites.
Senators Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, and Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, backed the End All Hazing Act, which asks that institutions publish details and occurrences of hazing that happen on campus or within a student organization.
Under this bill, institutions must report incidents they were made aware of that violated standards of conduct or federal, state or local hazing laws. Additionally institutions would include in the report incidents where conduct threatened a student's physical safety. To supplement this, institutions would have to include the name of the student organization involved, the alleged violation, dates of the incident and subsequent investigation, and finding that violation occurred. Institutions would exclude identifying details of students involved.
“A nationwide standard to inform prospective students and parents of hazing infractions increases transparency and accountability. Choosing a college should be based on the best information about academics, cost, post-graduation job prospects and safety. Isn’t this what we all want?” said Cassidy in the press release.
According to the press release, the bill was partly inspired by the 2017 hazing-related death of Louisiana State University student Max Gruver. Gruver's father and other parents of students who have been victims of hazing met with Cassidy last week.
The CEOs of the Greek organizations National Panhellenic Conference and North American Interfraternity Conference were both supportive of the bill.
“We are thrilled to see the bipartisan introduction of the End All Hazing Act in the Senate, which is critical in the fight to address and stomp out this issue. We must bring more transparency, accountability and improved safety to all student organizations on campuses nationwide,” their joint statement read.
The bill listed hazing as including "menial labor, disparagement, public or private humiliation, and forced exercise" as well as consumption of drugs or alcohol in combination with the aforementioned acts.
