Editorial: I must write an essay immediately for publication as a journalist editorializing in non-layman’s language. But once again, a judge has forgotten the law on hazing –regardless of a participant’s willingness to participate. 3 FAMU band defendants get away with no jail time following death of beaten Robert Champion. It is not up to me to judge the defendants, but I do judge the judge. And find the letter of the law was disregarded in my opinion. The court erred and has set back justice in hazing cases, I believe. –Moderator Hank Nuwer
Author: Hank Nuwer
Journalist Hank Nuwer tracks hazing deaths in fraternities and schools. Nuwer is the Alaska author of Hazing: Destroying Young Lives; Broken Pledges: The Deadly Rite of Hazing, High School Hazing, Wrongs of Passage and The Hazing Reader. In April of 2024 and April 2025 , the Alaska Press Club awarded him first place in the Best Columnist division.
He has written articles or columns on hazing for the Sunday Times of India, Toronto Globe & Mail, Harper's Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, The Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times Sunday Magazine. His current book is Hazing: Destroying Young Lives from Indiana University Press. He is married to Malgorzata Wroblewska Nuwer of Fairbanks, Alaska. Nuwer is a former columnist for the Greenville (Ohio)Early Bird and former managing editor of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Alaska.
Nuwer was named the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists columnist of the year in 2021 for his “After Darke” column in the Early Bird. He also won third place for the column in 2022 from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He and his wife Gosia, recently of Union City, Ind., have owned 20 acres in Alaska for many years. “The move is a sort-of coming home for us,” said Nuwer. As a journalist, he’s written about the Alaskan Iditarod sled-dog race and other Alaska topics. Read his musings in his blog at Real Alaska Daily--http://realalaskadaily.com
Once again the news from the Philippines is grim.
Here is brief excerpt and link is above:
CAMP GEN. ALEJO SANTOS, Bulacan — Three teenagers and a leader of a street gang were arrested by police for the death of a 14-year-old boy after an initiation rite in Sta. Maria town on Tuesday.
Police said the victim, Christian de la Cruz, was beaten up around 8 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday as part of the initiation rite of the True Brown Style (TBS), a street gang led by Brylle Daguiso, 25.
Police said members of TBS took turns punching De la Cruz, who died on Wednesday morning while being treated at the Bulacan Medical Center in Malolos City.
He was first taken by his parents to a hospital in Sta. Maria when he complained of stomach pains at 10 p.m. on Tuesday.
Policemen responded to a tip that an initiation rite was taking place in Barangay Sta. Clara on Tuesday night, leading to the separate arrests of Daguiso, a 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl.
On Thursday, a 13-year-old suspect surrendered to authorities. A fifth suspect, a 15-year-old boy, has yet to be arrested.
Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/700950/3-nabbed-for-death-of-14-year-old-hazing-victim#ixzz3eBVDCUbQ
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Today, 3 defendants in the death of FAMU bandleader face sentences of up to 20 years. My informed estimate is that 6 to 9 years will be the stiffest sentence imposed. http://www.wsbtv.com/ap/ap/florida/final-3-defendants-to-be-sentenced-in-famu-hazing-/nmmM4/
Categories
A Play for Hazing Prevention Week
Looking for something different for Hazing Prevention Week? Consider finding a male adviser or older fraternity alum or theatre department faculty member and put on Hank Nuwer’s one-man play (available on Amazon and Stophazing.org) “The Broken Pledge.” Link to play: http://www.stophazing.org/blog/the-broken-pledge-a-play-by-hank-nuwer/
Moderator: It is only a matter of time before a prosecutor tacks on “torture” to hazing charges.
Excerpt:
A group of Chinese study-abroad students in Los Angeles, California, are standing trial for allegedly kidnapping and torturing a fellow student, the Beijing News reported on June 12, 2015.
Zhai Yunyao, Zhang Xinlei and Yang Yuhan–all whom were born in 1996–along with three other minors, are accused of abducting and torturing fellow study-abroad student, surnamed Liu, on March 30 in the Rowland Heights area of LA. Four others suspected of taking part in the criminal act are still at large.
According to Liu’s statement to police, given on June 3, she was lured by a primary-school peer to “discuss something.” Liu was then reportedly forced into a car and taken to a nearby park.
There, Liu said she was beaten by a group of girls and stripped naked by Yang Yuhan. Liu’s nipples were then burned with lit cigarettes. Liu recalled that one girl tried to set her hair on fire, but it wouldn’t ignite because the girls doused Liu repeatedly with cold water.
The girls then cut Liu’s hair off and forced her to eat the hair. She was then forced to the ground and made to eat sand. Liu said one of the girls was capturing the assault on a mobile phone.
The torturing lasted five hours; the assault left Liu seriously injured.