Hazing Policy

Hazing on the part of students, faculty, or staff is strictly prohibited both on and off campus. Violations of this policy will lead to disciplinary action. Hazing with or without the consent of a student is prohibited by TLU, and a violation of that prohibition renders both the person inflicting the hazing and the person submitting to the hazing subject to discipline. Hazing is also prohibited by state law in educational institutions and can lead to legal action. The hazing bill is found in the Texas Education Code, Chapter 37, sections 37.151 through 37.157 and Chapter 51, section 51.936. The hazing bill may be viewed in its entirety at the "Texas Legislature Online" website at: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/ed/ed0003700.html#ed047.37.151 & http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/ed/ed0005100.html#ed237.51.936.

Definition

Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, occurring on or off campus of an educational institution, 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, initiation, affiliation, membership, or holding office in any organization whose members are or include students at an educational institution. Hazing includes but is not limited to:

• Any type of physical brutality, such as whipping, beating, striking, branding, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on the body or similar activity;
• Any type of physical activity, such as sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space,
• calisthenics, or other activity that subjects the student to an unreasonable risk of harm or that adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of the student;
• Any activity involving consumption of a food, liquid, alcoholic beverage, liquor, drug, or other substance which subjects the student to an unreasonable risk of harm or which adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of the student;
• Any activity that intimidates or threatens the student with ostracism, mental stress, shame, or humiliation, or that
• adversely affects the mental health or dignity of the student or discourages the student from entering or remaining
• registered in an educational institution, or that may reasonably be expected to cause a student to leave the organization or the institution rather than submit to acts described in this description;
• Any activity that causes or requires the student to perform a task that involves a violation of the Texas penal code.

Examples include but are not limited to:

• calisthenics, such as sit-ups, push-ups, or any other form of physical exercise;
• total or partial nudity at any time;
• the eating or ingestion of any unwanted substance;
• the wearing or carrying of any obscene or physically burdensome article;
• paddle swats, including the trading of swats;
• pushing, shoving, tackling, or any other physical contact;
• throwing oil, syrup, flour, or any harmful substance on a person;
• rat court, kangaroo court, or other individual interrogation;
• forced consumption of alcoholic beverages either by threats or peer pressure;
• lineups intended to demean or intimidate;
• transportation and abandonment (road trips, kidnaps, walks, rides, drops);
• Quests, treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips or any such activities carried on outside the confines of the university and not directly related to the purposes of the fraternity;
• confining individuals in an area that is uncomfortable or dangerous (hot box effect, high temperature, too small);
• Physical or psychological shocks;
• any type of personal servitude that is demeaning or of personal benefit to the individual members;
• wearing of embarrassing or uncomfortable clothing or objects; or public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste, or requiring shaved hair;
• engaging in public stunts and buffoonery;
• assigning pranks such as stealing; painting objects; harassing other organizations;
• Morally degrading or humiliating games and activities;
• Late work sessions or activities that interfere with scholastic activities, including exhausting and time consuming projects that are disruptive to normal study patterns;
• Physical disfigurements (temporary or permanent) including tattooing or branding (simulated or actual);
• Deprivation of normal sleep (less than six uninterrupted hours per night);
• Memorization of information not directly related to the fraternity/sorority;
• requiring boxing matches or fights for entertainment
• demeaning names;
• yelling and screaming;
• Any activity considered morally offensive by an individual participating;
• and any other activity which is not consistent with University policy.

Offense

Individuals
A person commits an offense if the person

• Engages in hazing;
• Solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid another in engaging in hazing;
• Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly permits hazing to occur;
• Has firsthand knowledge of the planning of a specific hazing incident involving a student in an educational institution, or firsthand knowledge that a specific hazing incident has occurred, and knowingly fails to report in writing to the Dean of Students or the Director of Student Activities what one knows.

Organizations
An organization commits an offense if the organization condones or encourages hazing or if an officer or any combination of members, pledges, or alumni of the organization commits or assists in the commission of hazing.

Consent
It is not a defense for the person engaging in hazing to maintain that the person against whom the hazing was directed consented to or acquiesced in the hazing activity.

Complicity
No instructor, officer, director, advisor or other person may knowingly permit, encourage, or assist any student in hazing or willfully acquiesce in the commission of such an offense or fail to report promptly what is known to university officials. Hazing is any act of omission or commission of this type.

Violation
Students found to be involved in hazing may be immediately suspended or expelled from the University.

Student organizations found to be involved may be suspended and/or have their organizational charter revoked and lose institutional affiliation.

Immunity
In an effort to encourage reporting of hazing incidents, the law grants immunity from civil or criminal liability to any person who reports a specific hazing event in good faith and without malice to the dean of students or other appropriate official of the institution and immunizes that person for participation in any judicial proceeding resulting from that report. Additionally, a doctor or other medical practitioner who treats a student who may have been subjected to hazing may make a good faith report of the suspected hazing activities to police or other law enforcement officials and is immune from civil or other liability that might otherwise be imposed or incurred as a result of the report. The penalty for failure to report is a fine of up to $1,000, up to 180 days in jail, or both. Penalties for other hazing offenses vary according to the severity of the injury which results and include fines from $500 to $10,000 and/or confinement for up to two years.

Reporting
If you think that you have been hazed or if you have questions about hazing, please contact the Director of Student Activities (x6040), the Dean of Students (x8060), and/or University Police (x0).