Is Hazing Illegal?

Nationwide Hazing Laws

There is a lot of confusion surrounding hazing laws in large part due to the fact that each state defines hazing slightly differently and each has its unique variation of anti-hazing laws.

Here at The Fierberg National Law Group, the cornerstone of our mission and work is to eradicate school violence related to fraternity hazing, sexual assault & Title IX violations, gun violence, serious personal injury, wrongful death, gender violence, and other misconduct taking place at schools nationwide. Our talented team of lawyers is dedicated to helping victims and their families fight organizations and institutions that continue to put students’ lives at risk by ignoring such issues on college and school campuses.

To date, we have secured millions of dollars in compensation for our clients due to injuries sustained at the hands of fraternities, their members, and universities.

We have also established legal precedent and legislation to ensure that going forward, other victims and their families will more easily be able to acquire the help necessary to continue to hold such institutions accountable. We are experts in the field of hazing law, having created the first and only national school violence practice group with the American Association for Justice and the National Crime Victim Bar Association. Our lawyers are skilled at partnering with the best local trial lawyers – combining local attorneys’ knowledge of their state’s anti-hazing laws and our national expertise.

The Legal Landscape

Is hazing illegal? As of 2019, 44 states in the United States have enacted laws prohibiting hazing. However, only 10 of these states have explicitly classified hazing resulting in death or serious injury as a felony. Louisiana may soon become the 11th state to pass such legislation. In the remaining 33 states, hazing is punishable as a misdemeanor. It is important to note that some laws narrowly define hazing as an initiation or pre-initiation activity, failing to capture the full extent of hazing practices. Additionally, certain laws only allow for the prosecution of current students, while research shows that former students can also facilitate hazing and prospective students are not exempt from its dangers.

Is Hazing Illegal in All States?

States with No Hazing Laws

Despite the widespread recognition of the harms caused by hazing, there are still six states without any laws explicitly prohibiting or defining hazing: Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana.

States with Felony Hazing Laws

FIFTEEN states have made hazing a potential felony offense. These states include Florida, Texas, California, Utah, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, New Jersey, Kentucky and Washington.

The need for the courts to take hazing more seriously is evident, and it starts with laws that reflect the gravity of the offense.

If you are concerned about the hazing law in your state, you can be a force for change by reaching out to your local and state representatives and demanding adjustments to your state’s anti-hazing laws.

Advocating for Justice: Hazing Lawyers Nationwide

If you or a child has been a victim of hazing and the incident has occurred in one of the above states, you may still be able to pursue legal action in civil court to demand monetary compensation for injuries or death sustained as a result of hazing. The skilled hazing attorneys at The Fierberg National Law Group will explore every possible avenue to ensure justice for your family. Despite the risks and media attention given to hazing, and the resulting injuries and wrongful deaths caused by this misconduct, fraternities often utilize resources that shield them from legal responsibility.

Our firm has more than 30 years of experience overcoming those hurdles. Our legal work is working hard to change the tide and has enabled our clients to hold ensure that every fraternity that has injured or killed their loved ones involved in campus hazing death and injury, rape, binge drinking, automobile accidents, unsafe premises liability, and other wrongdoing is held accountable.

Our legal team has the training, experience, and confidence necessary to overcome tough legal obstacles and well-heeled lawyers. We handle hazing lawsuits in all 50 states. If we are not licensed to practice in the state where tragedy has occurred, we obtain special permission to practice and associate ourselves with qualified local trial counsel – combining local attorneys with national expertise – giving you the best legal representation.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of fraternity hazing, please reach out for a confidential conversation to see how we can best support you through this trying time. Contact us at info@tfnlgroup.com or call us at (877) 927-4321, (231) 933-0180, or (202) 351-0510.