FSU’s Hazing Policy
- Any individual action or situation, which occurs on or off University property, that intentionally, recklessly, or negligently endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for purposes including, but not limited to, initiation or admission into or affiliation with any University student organization or other group whether officially recognized by the University, or the perpetuation or furtherance of a tradition or ritual of any such student organization or group. Hazing includes, but is not limited to:
- Brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of food, liquor, drug, or other substance;
- Subjecting a person to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contact, forced conduct that could result in extreme embarrassment, or other forced activity that could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of a reasonable person;
- Pressuring or coercing a person into violating local, state, federal law and/or University policy;
- Interfering with or impeding a person's academic pursuits, employment, religious observances, or affiliation with other individuals, groups, or activities;
- Otherwise infringing upon a person's personal or property rights or substantially interfering with a reasonable person's ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by the University.
- Soliciting another or aiding or assisting another to engage in any act of hazing as defined in this Code, or active involvement in the planning of such action.
- Observing or participating in any conduct defined as hazing pursuant to the Code by a member of the student organization or group who is not themselves a complainant, without reporting the incident to a University official.
FSU’s Amnesty Policy
- An element of promoting safety is providing clear, responsible methods of reporting and addressing incidents of misconduct. Therefore, in order to remove potential barriers to reporting, the Student Conduct Authority, may in its discretion, not charge a complainant with a violation for conduct originating from the same incident if reported by that student in good faith to a University official, or otherwise discovered in investigation.
- The University's highest priority is the physical and mental health and safety of students and members of the University community. Therefore, no student seeking assistance for themselves or others as a result of a hazing incident, intoxication, or medical emergency from alcohol or other drugs will be charged with violation of the alcohol, controlled substances, and illegal drug or hazing provisions of the Code if:
- The student calls local or University law enforcement or medical assistance;
- The student cooperates fully with University, law enforcement, and medical personnel as applicable;
- The student remains at the scene with the person in need until assistance has arrived.
- The University recognizes that during times of a public health emergency as declared by local, state, or national authorities the priority of gathering information regarding contact and exposure to contagion may be greater than resolution of a violation of the Student Conduct Code. Therefore, the University has discretion over whether a student will be charged with a violation of the Student Conduct Code if information is a result of providing important contact tracing information to University or public health officials.
Federal Law – Stop Campus Hazing Act
The Stop Campus Hazing Act (SCHA) (S.2901, H.R.5646), enacted on December 23, 2024, amends the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act to prioritize the prevention of and transparency about hazing incidents at colleges and universities. The federal anti-hazing law defines hazing as follows:
The term “hazing”, for purposes of reporting statistics on hazing incidents, means any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person (whether individually or in concert with other persons) against another person or persons regardless of the willingness of such other person or persons to participate, that:
- Is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a student organization; and
- Causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the institution of higher education or the organization, of physical or psychological injury including:
- Whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone’s body, or similar activity;
- Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity;
- Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances;
- Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;
- Any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct;
- Any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law;
- Any activity that induces, causes, or requires another person to perform a duty or task that involves a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law.
A student organization is defined as an organization at an institution of higher education (such as a club, society, association, varsity or junior varsity athletic team, club sports team, fraternity, sorority, band, or student government) in which two or more of the members are students enrolled at the institution of higher education, whether or not the organization is established or recognized by the institution.
