Hazing Prevention & Transparency Policy

In compliance with the Stop Campus Hazing Act this policy is established to prioritize the prevention of hazing incidents and to promote transparency in all campus organizations and activities. It reflects the university’s commitment to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment where all students can thrive without fear of harm, coercion, or abuse. Through education, accountability, and open reporting, this policy aims to prevent hazing practices, ensure the timely reporting of incidents, and foster a safe campus environment.

Date	Version Number	Change Description	Referenced Section
6/19/25	1.0	New Policy

 Review Process / Approval

Action:	Units	Date
Policy Review
Policy Approval	University Police Stakeholders Work Group Executive Approval	6/19/25

All students and employees.

Campus Hazing Transparency Report: The Campus Hazing Transparency Report is a report summarizing findings concerning any established or recognized student organization found to be in violation of the institution’s standards of conduct relating to hazing as defined by the institution. 

Hazing (New York State Penal Law):

§ 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 an organization, he intentionally or recklessly engages in conduct including by not limited to making physical contact with or requiring physical activity of such other person, 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, including, but not limited to, making physical contact with or requiring physical activity of such other person, which creates a substantial risk of physical injury to such other person or a third person. Hazing in the second degree is a violation. 

Hazing (Clery Act Definition): 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:

• 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; and
• 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.

Hazing (Institutional Definition): Interference with the personal liberty of others and includes any act of domination by some students over others for the purpose of joining, affiliating, or maintaining membership in a group or organization which, may lead to injury, emotional disturbance, physical discomfort or humiliation. Hazing can occur regardless of the person's willingness to participate. NOTE: A person commits a hazing offense if the person engages in hazing; solicits, encourages, directs, aids or attempts to aid another engaging in hazing; or intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly permits hazing to occur.  

ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES OF HAZING

Depending on the circumstances, these activities have been construed as hazing by the courts, inter/national organizations, NCAA and/or institutions of higher education. Such actions are required or implied as conditions for inclusion in or exclusion from the group. They may be perpetuated by an individual or a group. Willingness of the victim to participate does not absolve individuals or organizations of culpability. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of what could/would be considered hazing. It is simply to be used to demonstrate examples. 

Physical

• Sit-ups, push-ups, runs or any form of physical exercise required only of a specific classification of student (e.g. first-year students, new members, interested members, etc.)  
• Any action which could be perceived as inflicting physical abuse/harm to an individual (e.g. paddling, punching/hitting/slapping, application of foreign substances to the body, burning, blowing smoke in eyes, induced vomiting, denial of food or water, etc.) 
• Forcing, requiring or endorsing consumption of alcoholic beverages or any other drug
• Forcing, requiring or endorsing the ingestion of any substance (e.g. water, condiments, spoiled food, noxious fluids, etc.)
• Tattooing or branding

Mental 

• Verbal harassment including yelling or screaming at potential members, including line-ups
• Psychological harassment or intimidation in any form
• Deception and/or threats contrived to convince the new member he or she won’t be able to join the organization
• Threats to life and limb for attempting to report hazing or any crime or for consideration being given to disaffiliating from the group

Humiliation/De-Humanization 

• Carrying items (e.g. rocks, shields, musical instruments, etc.)
• Personal servitude (e.g. running errands, cleaning apartments/houses, doing laundry, etc.)
• Morally degrading and humiliating activities (e.g. requiring members to wade in the lake/river, to count bricks, act like animals, scrub floors with toothbrushes, to be nude, etc.)
• Individual interrogations not consistent with legitimate testing for information (e.g. line ups)
• Wearing apparel that is conspicuous and/or not normally considered in good taste
• Wearing clothing or jewelry of any type that separate the new members from the general membership. (Note: The wearing of uniforms, gear or membership badges by new members only is prohibited. New members may wear these items as long as all members of the organization are also wearing them simultaneously.)
• Head shaving or uniform hair cuts/styles of new members/first-year students
• Walking, running, marching, etc. in formation or in line required only of a specific classification of student (e.g. first year students, new members, interested members, etc.)  
• Greeting others with specific greetings, chants, riddles, songs or rhymes.
• Expecting participation in any activity in which the full membership/team does not participate.
• Entering a house or building through a side door or entrance not normally used to enter.
• Reciting phrases or greetings or yelling when entering or leaving a house or building.
• Work parties without the participation of the full organizational membership.
• Withholding basic human rights from members (e.g. ability to speak/communicate normally, drive, sleep, use a cell phone, study, bathe, choose what to eat/drink, etc.) 

High Risk Activities 

• Scavenger hunts, treasure hunts, road trips or any other such activities when not done for information gathering purposes consistent with educational purposes of the organization. Kidnaps and ditches are specifically prohibited.
• Assigning or endorsing pranks such as borrowing or stealing items, painting property and objects, or harassing other individuals or groups.
• Endangerment. (Any activity where there is the potential for danger, e.g. tying legs together, blindfolding when not done for legitimate fraternity rituals, exchange of bodily fluids, exposure to the environment, drinking excessive amounts of fluids, requiring groups to meet in nonhabitable spaces, etc.)

Student Organization: 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.

Unrecognized Organization: Means persons enrolled as students at the University who are associated with each other and who are not recognized as a collective grouping by the University or by Student Association. Unrecognized organizations are not permitted to participate, as an organization, in SUNY Plattsburgh sponsored activities. 

University Police

The University Police Chief (or designee(s)) is responsible for:

• Investigating reports of Hazing; and
• Reviewing Hazing incidents, as defined in the Jeanne Clery Campus safety Act, for Timely Warning or Emergency Notification and inclusion in the Annual Security Report; and
• Reviewing Hazing incidents for inclusion in the Daily Crime Log; and
• Publishing the Campus Hazing Transparency Report as required.

Enrollment and Student Success: Educational programming for students for the prevention of and awareness of hazing.

Human Resource and Payroll Services: Educational programming for employees for the prevention of and awareness of hazing.

Reporting a Hazing Incident

SUNY Plattsburgh encourages the reporting of incidents of hazing and takes every such report seriously. It will investigate all reports diligently and thoroughly in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and/or other applicable policies and procedures. Individuals found responsible for committing, soliciting, encouraging, directing, aiding, or recklessly permitting hazing to occur will be subject to disciplinary sanctions that could include suspension or expulsion.

If you are concerned for someone’s safety, call University Police or 911 immediately. 

A hazing incident may be reported by anyone.  If you believe you are being hazed or if you have witnessed what you believe is an act of hazing, you should take the following steps:

1. Document the activity, including photos, text messages, chats, posts, dates, times, names of people and organizations involved, locations, and any other details; and
2. Report the incident to University Police at 518-564-2022, or in person at the University Police Department located in the Health Center Building, 45 Rugar Street, or via email at [email protected].

Anonymous reports can be made by calling the Hazing Hotline at 518-564-5555 or online through the campus’s Silent Witness Reporting Form.

Responding to a report of a Hazing Incident

After a report is received, the university will quickly review the submission and determine the next appropriate actions. If a report is criminal in nature, University Police and/or local law enforcement will be contacted. If the initial findings indicate that a campus community member’s safety is at risk, immediate actions will be taken by the university to address and mitigate the risk. If necessary, the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success may issue a Cease-and-Desist Order, suspending all activities of the involved group while the investigation is ongoing.

University Police will conduct a thorough investigation following University Police policies and procedures including but not limited to witness interviews, digital forensic investigation, and processes of the court.  Upon completion of the investigation, findings may result in referrals from by the Group Referral Committee, formal charges through the Office for Student Conduct for violations of college policies, and, if applicable, referrals to criminal court for violations of state law.

Retaliation

No person may intimidate, threaten, coerce or discriminate against any individual because the individual made a report or complaint, testified, assisted, or participated or refused to participate in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this Hazing Policy and Procedure. Complaints alleging retaliation may be filed with the Office of Student Conduct and/or Human Resources. Any reports of retaliation involving an employee covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement will be addressed through the appropriate processes.

Preparing the Campus Hazing Transparency Report

Effective December 23, 2025, the report must include all incidents involving student organizations (as defined in this policy) that occurred on or after July 1, 2025, in which a finding of responsibility was made for a violation of hazing as defined by the institution. 

The report must include:

1. The name of such student organization.
2. A general description of the violation that resulted in a finding of responsibility, including:

• whether the violation involved the abuse or illegal use of alcohol or drugs.
• the findings of the institution.
• any sanctions placed on the student organization by the institution, as applicable.

3. The dates on which: 

• The incident was alleged to have occurred. 
• The investigation into the incident was initiated. 
• The investigation ended with a finding that a hazing violation occurred. 
• The institution provided notice to the student organization that the incident resulted in a hazing violation. 

Note: The Campus Hazing Transparency Report shall not include personally identifiable information.

The Campus Hazing Transparency Report shall be published in a prominent location on the website of the institution and include:

• a statement notifying the public of the annual availability of hazing statistics within and link to the Annual Security Report; and
• Information about the institution’s policies related to hazing and applicable local, State, and Tribal laws on hazing.

The Campus Hazing and Transparency Report must be updated biannually (2 times a year) and contain data for a period of (5) years from the date of the most recent update.  If there are no findings of responsibility for a Hazing violation during the reporting period, an update will not be required.

Hazing Prevention Programs

SUNY Plattsburgh will provide educational programming for students, staff, and employees to include information about the university’s hazing prevention policy(s), and primary prevention strategies intended to stop hazing before hazing occurs, which may include skill building for bystander intervention, information about ethical leadership, and the promotion of strategies for building group cohesion without hazing.

Method	Date
Campus Handbook	6/19/25
Faculty / Staff Digest	6/25/25
Student Digest	6/25/25
Other	N/A

There are no specific trainings identified with this policy.