Author: Hank Nuwer

Dutch hazing included unspeakable acts. The Koninklijke Marechaussee

Oregon mom sues school administrators after truth or dare initiation.

Excerpt from Portland Tribune below

A former Lakeridge High School dancer and her mother told a U.S. District Court jury on Tuesday about a team sleepover that they say devolved from an innocent movie night into a dangerous initiation that involved hazing, bullying and worse.

The Lake Oswego School District and several current or former administrators — Superintendent Heather Beck, Lakeridge High Principal Jennifer Schiele and former Athletic Director Ian Lamont — all face a claim of negligence in the case. So do former dance team coaches Kayla and Ashley Nordlum and former parent volunteer Suzanne Young, who helped with team finances and photos.

In addition, Kayla Nordlum faces claims of false imprisonment, a violation of First Amendment rights and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The plaintiffs are seeking economic and non-economic damages, as well as punitive damages for what court documents call a “malicious, oppressive and/or reckless disregard for plaintiffs’ rights.”

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The former dancer, who is identified in court documents only as “S.A.,” was 14 years old when the alleged incidents took place. Now a high school senior at Lakeridge, she was the first to take the stand Tuesday in what is expected to be a four-day trial.

The girl told jurors that she and other dancers had gathered at a team member’s house for a sleepover and were about to get into their pajamas when plans changed from a movie night to something more.

“All of a sudden, two boys in costumes jumped out,” she said, “and the girls started yelling, ‘Initiation!”

Senior dancers then had the younger girls dress up in costumes and perform a variety of “dares” in downtown Lake Oswego after blindfolding them and making them ride on the floors of the seniors’ cars from location to location, she said.

“They said you have to do it, there was no option. It was just, ‘You’re going to do it,'” the former dancer testified. She said that some of the girls were dared to go into fast food restaurants and shout sexually suggestive things before the entire group was driven to Lakeridge High School.

Belarus death and excerpt:

MINSK — Investigators in Belarus say 10 servicemen have been charged in connection with the death of a private who was found hanged after complaining that he had been hazed and pressured for money by superiors.

In an October 31 statement, the Investigative Committee said that eight sergeants, one ensign, and one lieutenant in the Belarusian military were charged over the death of Alyaksandr Korzhych.

The statement did not specify the charges. It said that another officer, a captain who has not been arrested or charged, is also a suspect in the case.

Korzhych, 21, was found hanging in the basement of the medical unit at the Pechy military training base northeast of Minsk on October 3, less than five months after he was drafted. His feet were bound with a shoestring, and a T-shirt cloaked his head.

The conscript’s relatives say he complained of being the target of hazing by senior officers. In particular, he told family and friends that he was being pressured for money by his superiors.

Korzhych was the second conscript found hanged at an army base in Belarus in less than six months, sparking a debate about hazing in the army and calls for the defense minister’s resignation.

The Investigative Committee initially said it was a suicide.

But after Korzhych’s relatives and human rights activists started a campaign urging authorities to investigate the death, the committee launched an investigation into suspected violations of army regulations, abuse of authority, and fraud.

Hazing has been a serious problem in militaries throughout the former Soviet Union, with pressure for payments frequently reported by victims.

In Belarus, 37 suicides were registered in the armed forces between 2008 and 2017, according to Defense Ministry statistics.

In 2017 alone, there were four suicides in the Belarusian armed forces, according to media reports.

“Riley County Police confirmed they filed a battery report involving Manhattan High School football players.”

Here is the story and here is an excerpt. Moderator: SUNY Plattsburgh has been especially proactive against hazing following the water torture death of Walter Dean Jennings.

Oct 31, 2017 — 21 SUNY Plattsburgh students face criminal misdemeanor charges for alleged hazing at the Pi Alpha Nu fraternity.

According to a press release from the school, the charges stem from incidents off campus in February and September of this year. University Police believe the fraternity members engaged in demeaning behavior, alcohol use and paddling.

In addition to the 21 students already charged in Plattsburgh City Court, six former students are also expected to face criminal charges.

University Police first heard about the alleged hazing on September 29^th, the college says, and it suspended Pi Alpha Nu the same day.

“We will not tolerate hazing in any form,” said SUNY Plattsburgh President John Ettling in a campus letter. “It is important for this case to be pursued to emphasize how seriously we take any hazing.”

“If you see or experience behavior that is personally damaging or hurtful to you or your fellow member of the campus community, bring this to the attention of University Police or an appropriate authority figure,” he said.

Pi Alpha Nu members couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Campus police, Plattsburgh City Police, and the Clinton County District Attorney’s office worked together on the case. The college says the students’ initial court appearances will occur throughout November and in the meantime, it’s reviewing their enrollment status and the fraternity’s future.