Category: Hazing News

Here is the story link to Graham Jordan’s death. Moderator Hank Nuwer

Jerry Kremer is a columnist for Long Island Weekly

The vast majority of America’s colleges are closed for the summer, with the exception of those that offer special courses. The recent scandal involving parents paying for false college admission credentials will linger into next year. The one issue that casts a cloud over every campus that hosts fraternities, is how to deal with the hazing of students seeking entry into these select groups.

Hazing is not a new phenomenon in our college history. Records show that this type of conduct predates the founding of the United States. As early as 1682, there is mention of the expulsion of Joseph Webb from Harvard College by his own admission, “abusing and striking some freshmen” and forcing them to do errands.

According to Franklin College professor Hank Nuwer, the author of the book Hazing: Destroying Young Lives, at least one hazing death per year occurred on North American college campuses in the years 1954-57. Between 1959 to 2019 there have been multiple deaths. Causes of death include alcohol poisoning, beating, drowning, exposure, sleep deprivation and suicide, among others.

A study by the University of Maine shows that hazing is widespread: 55 percent of college students involved in clubs, teams and organizations experience hazing and 47 percent of the students arriving on campus, have experienced some form of hazing. Some of the fatal incidents over the years have been well publicized. The most recent one involved a freshman at SUNY Buffalo who died in April when he was ordered to engage in strenuous physical exercise even though he was recovering from a respiratory ailment. He was then coldly dumped on the front lawn of the fraternity.

There are only six states that do not have anti-hazing laws. They are Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, New Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii. In New York, hazing is considered a class A misdemeanor or a violation. Twelve states make hazing a felony if it results in death or serious injury. Some states have taken hazing so seriously that they have passed a variety of laws that make it easier to prosecute wrongdoers and, in some cases, deny students their diplomas for this conduct.

TIME Magazine this year attributed the failure of many states to pass such laws is due to the fact that there are many people in power who were former Greek life members. There are 155 members of Congress who are Greek alumni and a majority of current Fortune 500 executives are members of fraternities. There is no doubt that there is a prevailing attitude on the part of those alumni that hazing is a harmless prank that is part of the fun of any initiation.

There are countless joys to being a student on any respected college campus. But until all the 50 states treat hazing more seriously, innocent lives will be lost, and any one death is one too many.

Former State Assemblyman Jerry Kremer is a columnist for Long Island Weekly and partner at Ruskin Moscou Faltischek in Uniondale. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or Anton Media Group.

Arizona Republic link

Excerpt:

A report from the apparent hazing incident during a Safford High School football camp in the Pinetop-Lakeside area this month has been turned over to the Navajo County Attorney for review, according to GilaValleyCentral.

Meanwhile, Safford, still investigating, has suspended all summer football travel and competitions, such as 7-on-7 passing tournaments, and including a planned trip to California for a team camp.

“Although the investigation is still pending with Pinetop/Lakeside Police, SUSD continues to progress in our investigation and is moving forward with some student and staff consequences,” A.J. Taylor, the Safford Unified School District spokesman, wrote in a statement sent to The Arizona Republic. “All summer football travel and competition has been also been suspended. Our investigation is still ongoing and we are taking this matter seriously. As always, the safety of our students is our number one concern.”

Jonathan Kanzler sentencing and remarks

Excerpt:

Family friends described [Jonathan] Kanzler as a caring person who has rededicated himself to helping others since Piazza’s death. His mother expressed sorrow for the Piazza family and said that she knows “nothing can compare to their loss.” She said it feels “selfish for me to talk about heartbreak,” knowing what the Piazzas have gone through.

Defense attorney Brian McMonagle said Kanzler has moved forward “with a single purpose: to honor Tim Piazza’s memory,” adding that he took responsibility for his actions and has cooperated with law enforcement.

After becoming certified as an EMT last year, Kanzler has since volunteered for 140 hours with an EMS service at Lehigh University, where he now goes to school and will be a resident assistant in the fall. Marshall credited him for the “extraordinary amount of community service,” he has performed.

Kanzler also expressed sorrow for the Piazzas and said he regrets the “thoughtlessness” of his actions and attitude toward drinking at the time. He also said he wants the Piazzas to know he is sorry he did not realize their son was in need of medical attention when he left the party.

Kanzler is among 17 defendants to have entered guilty pleas in the case. Six others were accepted into Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) programs for first-time offenders.

Former chapter president Brendan Young and pledgemaster Daniel Casey still face trial, on charges of recklessly endangering another person, hazing and furnishing, but their case has been put on hold pending an appeal to state Superior Court. Braxton Becker, who was accused of deleting basement video footage from the house’s surveillance system, was found guilty of hindering apprehension and not guilty of tampering and obstruction in May. He is scheduled to be sentenced in August.

From Politico: a summary

HAZING TARGETED IN NEW BILL: The End All Hazing Act, designed to boost campus-wide transparency and accountability for all student organizations, would put the responsibility of protecting students on the institutions, as well as the student organizations operating on their campuses, Fudge said in a statement Thursday. “This bill is a proactive step towards addressing hazing at its core and protecting our nation’s college students from unnecessary harm,” Fudge said.

— The bill would require schools to maintain a web page, updated twice a year, that shares information about student organizations disciplined for hazing or other misconduct that threatened the well-being of students in the last five years, according to Fudge’s office. Included would be details of corrective measures imposed on the organizations by the school. The bill would also require institutions to report within 72 hours any hazing allegation that involved serious bodily injury or significant risk of it to campus police and the appropriate law enforcement authorities.

— Thompson said parents who have lost children to hazing incidents have been working with fraternities and sororities to engage in “aggressive student education, outreach and advocacy efforts to end tragic hazing incidents.” They have successfully pursued legislation with transparency requirements in several states, he said, including Pennsylvania.

— “A federal solution will more quickly address the problem and ensure students across the country can enjoy a safe, collegiate experience with involvement in extracurricular activities and student organizations without fear of being hazed,” Thompson said on the House floor Thursday.