Hazing Prevention and Awareness

• If you believe that you or someone you know has been a victim of hazing, you may report the activity to the Office of the Dean of Students and Public Safety
  
  
• Worried about privacy?
  Anonymous reports are accepted and reviewed but may limit the ability to follow up. Every effort will be made to keep a reporter's identity confidential during an investigation; however, it may become necessary to identify the reporter during the process.

• Upon receiving a report of hazing, the Office of the Dean of Students will work with the appropriate office which has oversight of the student organization to investigate the allegation. 
  
  
• The preliminary investigation will determine if there is enough credible information to charge the organization or members of the organization with a violation of the Henderson Rules. If there is enough information to charge, the organization or its members will be charged through the process outlined in Article XV of the CUNY Bylaws. 
  
  
• A finding of responsibility for a violation of the Henderson Rules may result in educational sanctions, restrictions for new member recruitment, restrictions on organizational activities, organizational probation and/or temporary or permanent loss of recognition by CUNY Lehman College. 

• Students involved in campus organizations are provided with information about hazing and bystander intervention.  All student athletes attend a mandatory NCAA compliance meeting at which hazing is addressed. 
  
  
• All student organization leaders are invited to participate in a Campus Life Club Orientation and Training where topics such as ethical leadership, bystander intervention, and effective team building are offered.

For reporting statistics for incidents of hazing, the Stop Campus Hazing Act establishes the following definitions:

Hazing’ 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— 

1. is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a student organization; and 
    
2. causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the institution of higher education or the organization (such as the physical preparation necessary for participation in an athletic team), of physical or psychological injury including—  

1. whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone’s body, or similar activity;
2. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity;
3. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances;
4. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;
5. any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct;
6. any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law; and
7. 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

Effective November 1, 1988

120.16: Hazing in the first degree
A person is guilty of hazing in the first degree when, in the course of another person's initiation into or affiliation with any organization, he intentionally or recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk of physical injury to such other person or a third person and thereby causes such injury.
Hazing in the first degree is a class A misdemeanor.

120.17: Hazing in the second degree
A person is guilty of hazing in the second degree when, in the course of another person's initiation or affiliation with any organization, he intentionally or recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk of physical injury to such other person or a third person.

Hazing in the second degree is a violation.

In addition to the consequences of violating University policies and state law prohibiting hazing, both individuals and chapters can be sued in civil court for mental or physical harm that results from hazing. Individual group members (and their parents), group leaders, advisors, the organization, and national affiliates may be sued. Hazing on college campuses has resulted in numerous successful lawsuits.