• Hazing Deaths Database:
  • Blog
  • Storytelling
  • Bio
  • High School Sexual Hazing Incidents
  • Campus Speaker: Hazing & Binge Drinking
  • Hank Nuwer: selected media coverage
  • World Hazing Incidents
  • “Hazing,” “Sons of the Dawn,” “Legend of Jesse Owens”

Hank Nuwer's Hazing Scholarship Site

Follow me on Social Media

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Drinking cited against 14 Cortland teams; hazing against two varsity teams and three clubs

September 12, 2006 By Hank Nuwer Leave a Comment

All: Cortland is using education and the judicial system to try to combat hazing, according to news release below:

Cortland statement:

Two varsity SUNY Cortland athletic teams and three recreational sports clubs have received sanctions from the institution following an internal investigation by an ad hoc committee looking into potential hazing violations. The committee, which is finalizing its report, determined the violations were of a non-criminal nature….

That committee was created in July by President Erik J. Bitterbaum after SUNY Cortland administrators were informed that pictures posted on personal Web sites revealed Cortland student athletes engaged in apparent hazing activities….As a result of the findings, the Athletics Department will impose a 10 percent reduction in regular season games against two programs, women’s lacrosse and women’s softball, for violating the department’s rules against hazing…

The teams will have an opportunity to reinstate one of its games by performing community service in the form of an approved presentation to area schools about personal information posted on websites…

The Board investigated 16 club teams and found three sport clubs — women’s softball, women’s rugby and women’s lacrosse — in violation of engaging in minor hazing by requiring new team members to compose songs, perform skits and wear tee shirts with handwritten profanityThe Sports Clubs policies define hazing as “any intentional, knowing or reckless act occurring on or off the SUNY Cortland campus, by one person alone or acting with others, directed against a student, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging, being initiated into, affiliation with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization whose members are or include students at SUNY Cortland.”

The women’s lacrosse and women’s softball sports clubs each received three years probation, eight hours of community service, $50 per person fundraising sanctions and mandatory attendance at a presentation on hazing to be offered by the assistant director of Recreational Sports this semester. The women’s rugby sports club received one year’s probation, participation in a community service, and $50 per person fundraising sanctions.

Additionally, the Board found 14 teams had violated the Sport Clubs’ zero tolerance policy regarding alcohol and underage drinking. No club teams were suspended. Thirteen received sanctions that included probation, approved community service and fundraising for a memorial scholarship named in honor of former recreational sports club member Kristen O’Neil. One club team received four years probation, eight hours of approved community service, $50 per person fundraising, all travel suspended for the year and requirement of a non-student coach to be in attendance for the next four years, due to the severity of evidence of underage drinking.

“All SUNY Cortland students who appear to have violated the Code of Student Conduct with regard to underage drinking and/or hazing will be referred to the Judicial Affairs Office,” said Levine. “This whole process has caused the College to reflect upon its policies and the need for more education with regard to hazing,” she added.

The College hopes that these incidents will become a learning experience for its students, said Levine.

“One of the main purposes of the college judicial system is to educate students and re-direct behavior that is potentially harmful,” explained Nan Pasquarello, director of judicial affairs at SUNY Cortland. “We are looking at these incidents as an opportunity for our students who are found in violation of college policies to learn and make better decisions in the future.

“Hazing, in a number of degrees and forms, has become part of our social fabric, not just at SUNY Cortland, but also at high schools, colleges, and universities around the country. Hazing is not limited to just athletics and social fraternities and sororities. We need to address the potential harmful effects of initiation activities that may be perceived as harmless by members of groups.”

Filed Under: Hazing News

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Contact Inquiries

Hank Nuwer

Correspondence: Hank Nuwer at Hnuwer@hanknuwer.com   Phone number upon request.  Available presentations USA, … Email to book a date.

Sons of the Dawn

Sons of the Dawn: A Basque Odyssey: Hank's novel is for teens 11-18 but also meant to be enjoyed by … Read More

Hazing Deaths Database:

… Read More

Tallahassee police label December FSU fraternity death an accident, not hazing. Deaths involve FSU SAE and Sig Ep.

Here is the story link The death of a popular Florida State University student found unresponsive inside the Sigma Phi Epsilon house in December has been determined accidental, according to an autopsy released late Tuesday. The District Two Medical Examiner’s Office said the death of William Eppes Proctor, 22, was due to “right epidural hematoma due to […]

Pullman Police Chief Jenkins drops the ball in Big-Little death.

The police chief missed the deadline to post hazing charges. Shame on Pullman Police and the Prosecutor for letting the one-year statute of limitations expire in the “Big-Little” death of Sam Martinez, a travesty, at Washington State’s Alpha Tau Omega house. “We had our eyes on a potential more serious offense, that was manslaughter, and […]

Death of a rookie at Lyon College

The bruised body of James Gilfedder is undergoing an autopsy at this time while his teammates continue to play.   Gilfedder’s parents told Arkansas media that their son’s body was battered, and he consumed a fifth of alcohol at a team “hazing party.”  Police are waiting for autopsy results before commenting.  Media said the house […]

Another 2020 close call — TCU

Moderator: This is the same university that had injured pledges in September 2020: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article218683030.html Benton McDonald  -INCIDENT #2.  So similar to death of Nicky Cumberland at University of Texas–Moderator January 28, 2021 TCU placed a fraternity on probation after a hazing investigation revealed that students involved in a car crash last November had been sent […]

Archives


Hank Nuwer's Hazing Scholarship Site is proudly powered by WordPress