WASHINGTON—Fraternity and sorority groups along with parents of children who died from acts of hazing collectively are backing new legislation to eradicate hazing on college campuses. The Educational Notification and Disclosure of Actions risking Loss of Life (END ALL) Hazing Act (H.B. 3267) was introduced June 13 by Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, and Rep. G.T. Thompson, R-Pa.
For too long, hazing has threatened the health and safety of students and undermined the educational mission of higher education institutions. The END ALL Hazing Act will help foster the eradication of hazing at colleges and universities by ensuring campus-wide transparency and accountability in all student organizations.
END ALL Hazing Act support is coming from a coalition of parents who have lost sons to acts of hazing, fraternal “umbrella” organizations, which collectively represent more than 100 fraternities and sororities, as well as the associations that provide development to student leaders and professionals who work with fraternities and sororities.
Officials from the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA), Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV), Northeast Greek Leadership Association (NGLA), Southeastern Greek Leadership Association (SGLA), HazingPrevention.Org and the Anti-Hazing Coalition endorse the legislation.
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In a powerful alliance, parents who have lost children to incidents of hazing have been working with these organizations to engage in aggressive student education, outreach and advocacy efforts to end tragic hazing incidents as well. The Anti-Hazing Coalition (AHC) seeks to address the problem earlier through education and prevention, while also encouraging accountability and transparency through legislation. The AHC strongly supports the END ALL Hazing Act.
Statement from Richard Braham, father of Marquise Braham:
“Many students arrive at college already having been hazed. This is how systemic, rampant and harmful hazing is. The END ALL Hazing Act will help alleviate this by raising awareness for parents, students and educators about hazing and other violations of codes of conduct happening in campus organizations, allowing them to make informed choices about which groups they would want to associate with – those groups that create a safe, positive and welcoming environment.”
Statement from Deb Debrick, mother of Dalton Debrick:
“The overall most important reason for taking action is to prevent hazing is to save lives and save families from the unbearable pain of loss. The only way the culture is going to change is with all parties working together to make the changes from legislation down, including the organizational groups and universities. We have to educate all and there have to be tough consequences that fit the degree of the hazing that is committed.”
Statement from Rae Ann and Steve Gruver, parents of Max Gruver:
“It is critical that institutions and organizations are 100% transparent about their hazing history. By being completely transparent, students and parents are able to make crucial decisions about their futures at universities. Only if all the information is placed in front of them — both the positive accolades and academic achievements as well as the negatives and past challenges —can families make informed decisions.”
Statement from Lianne and Brian Kowiak, parents of Harrison Kowiak:
“The cycle of dangerous traditions in student organizations must be stopped and replaced with safer and more acceptable alternative behaviors. These new behaviors need to focus on the safety and well-being of students. The End All Hazing Act will help accomplish this goal.”
Statement from Evelyn and Jim Piazza, parents of Timothy Piazza:
“The passing of the END ALL Hazing Act is critically important because we continue to see students being injured or dying at alarming rates as a result of irresponsible hazing behavior at universities. The transparency and awareness that this law will bring will enable students and parents to assess the quality and reputation of the organizations with which students are considering joining.”
Statement from the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)
“All of us in the fraternity and sorority community must take action to change dangerous campus cultures, including eradicating hazing,” said National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) Chairman Carole Jones. “NPC is committed to partnering with government officials as well as the parents in the Anti-Hazing Coalition, other fraternal umbrella organizations and other partners who share our common interests to help develop sustainable solutions, including legislative solutions, to create safer campus cultures everywhere. We are pleased to support the END ALL Hazing Act as part of those efforts, and we appreciate the leadership of Congresswoman Fudge and Congressman Thompson on this issue.”
Statement from the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC)
“We applaud the introduction of the END ALL Hazing Act and urge Congress to take swift action,” NIC President and CEO Judson Horras said. “END ALL will bring transparency to make a lasting cultural change in student organizations and on university campuses. Our member fraternities stand united in a belief that every student has the right to learn and thrive in a safe and healthy campus environment.”
Statement from the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA)
“Hazing on college campuses is a complex problem and addressing it requires a multi-faceted approach,” said Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) Executive Director Lynda Wiley. “A combination of information, education and accountability is necessary to eliminate this behavior. Including hazing information in public reporting will help students and parents as they ask important questions related to joining a variety of organizations, including fraternities and sororities. AFA is committed to continual professional education for our members and would provide training around implementation of the END ALL Hazing Act if it becomes law.”
Statement from the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV)
“The impact that hazing has had on victims, their friends and their families is catastrophic. We hope the increased transparency measures in this bill will not only deter future incidents but lead to more people actively engaging in the fight to end hazing for good,” Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values Executive Director Ryan O’Rourke said. “The fraternity and sorority experience should be about members caring and supporting one another; hazing has no place in that kind of experience.”
Statement from the Northeast Greek Leadership Association (NGLA)
“NGLA’s mission is to educate leaders from a variety of fraternal experiences to transform and empower their community and align actions with values. Hazing in any form is contrary to aligning actions with fraternal values and there is no place for it in the educational experience of young people. NGLA is proud to support this initiative and will continue educating leaders on healthy new member programs and encourage those who experience or observe hazing in any form to speak up and speak out,” said Northeast Greek Leadership Association Executive Director Kevin Pons.
Statement from the Southeastern Greek Leadership Association (SGLA)
“SGLA is proud to support the END ALL Hazing Act. States that have implemented transparency laws for organizational conduct are seeing positive results, and we applaud the efforts to take this nationwide,” said Southeastern Greek Leadership Association (SGLA) Executive Director Dr. Gary Wiser.
Statement from HazingPrevention.Org
“HazingPrevention.Org is proud to join our partners in the Anti-Hazing Coalition to support the END ALL Hazing Act. We believe this important step forward in federal legislation is needed in order to send a strong message nationwide that hazing is not acceptable, and to stand with our partners and parents in every effort to keep students safe,” said HazingPrevention.Org CEO and Executive Director Emily Pualwan.
Click here to learn more about the END ALL Hazing Act.
