Federal anti-hazing bill appears poised to become law

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – A bill aimed at combating hazing on college campuses is on its way to President Joe Biden’s desk after passing unanimously in the Senate last week.

The “Stop Campus Hazing Act” was passed by both houses of Congress after years of work by families who have lost children to college hazing.

“The Max Gruver family and other families they had children with died because of hazing incidents. This is the product of their advocacy,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who worked with the Gruver family to craft the legislation.

Gruver was a Louisiana State University student who died after being hazed while pledging a fraternity in September 2017.

“I think it continues, it’s Max’s legacy now,” said Rae Ann Gruver, his mother. “And it’s going to save someone else’s life when Max’s life couldn’t be saved.”

The bill would improve hazing reporting by requiring colleges to include incidents of hazing in their annual security report, prevent hazing by establishing hazing education and prevention programs, and aims to help students and parents to make informed decisions about joining campus organizations by requiring colleges to publish the hazing report. the institution’s hazing prevention policies and the organizations that violated them.

Sen. Cassidy said he believes the bill will help end deaths from hazing at universities.

“I imagine universities will tend to shut down organizations found guilty of repetitive hazing,” he said. “And you are going to end this culture. You’re going to set up a culture where the prospective student, their family, knows that they’re going to college and they’re going to have a good experience, not a tragic experience.

President Biden is expected to sign the Stop Campus Hazing Act before leaving office.