Anti-hazing bill pushed by student leaders

Kiley Russell

Friday, April 30, 1999 | 5:32 a.m.

CARSON CITY - College students urged Nevada lawmakers on Friday to criminalize hazing, saying the move would help Greek organizations shed an "Animal House" image that discourages potential pledges.

Hazing isn't limited to humiliating pledges or getting them drunk, students told the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

"It's easy for this rite to be perverted," said SB297's original proponent, Angel Robinson, a senior at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and legislative intern for Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas.

Each year since 1970, at least one U.S. student has died from hazing, Robinson added.

While Nevada hasn't had a hazing death since the mid-1970s, problems remain and something more is needed beyond university policies against "this vicious tradition," she said.

The measure makes hazing a misdemeanor if no substantial bodily harm occurred and a gross misdemeanor if harm did occur.

Hazing is defined as any method of initiation or affiliation with a student organization that intentionally or recklessly endangers the physical health of another person. The definition includes beating, exposure to the elements and forced consumption of food, liquor or drugs.

While none of the students who testified in favor of the bill reported being hazed, a couple did say that rumors of humiliating or dangerous rites of passage kept them from pledging.

Accounts of "excessive, nonstop drinking for multiple days at a time" and one story of a fraternity pledge carrying a knife to his initiation out of fear of being attacked kept University of Nevada, Reno sophomore Susan Lawrence from going Greek.

Criminalizing hazing would encourage students who want to report abusive behavior to do so, Lawrence said.

The threat of criminal sanctions also would force fraternities and sororities to more vigorously enforce anti-hazing rules already adopted by most organizations and college campuses, supporters say.

"This makes hazing students a significantly more serious matter in the Greek system," said UNLV junior Amy Canepa, 21, a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and incoming student body vice president.

"It may not stop hazing, but it might get Greek organizations to think twice," she added.

But at least one student, 21-year-old UNLV pre-law student Aaron Clemens, thinks the Legislature should keep out of Greek life.

"The university can take care of this by itself," said Clemens, executive secretary of the Delta Chi fraternity.

Clemens said that the bill will "have a chilling effect on fraternalism" because it allows students to be prosecuted for conspiracy to haze pledges.

This means an entire organization could face prosecution based on abuse perpetrated by one member, he added.

Assemblyman Greg Brower, R-Reno, agreed.

"I frankly am not convinced that the universities and school districts can't cope with this appropriately. Why do we need a state law to deal with this?" Brower said.