Anti-Hazing Policy
Florida National University is committed to maintaining an environment that promotes the health and safety of the University community, including FNU students, faculty and staff.
FNU prohibits Hazing in any form by members of the University community and complies with the related requirements of both (i) the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, including as amended in 2024 by the Stop Campus Hazing Act (Public Law 118–173) and (ii) Florida’s anti-hazing law (Section 1006.63, Fla. Stat.).
Definitions
“Hazing” includes hazing under either federal or state law:
“Hazing” (federal law) 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—
a. is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a Student Organization; and
b. 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” (Florida law) means any action or situation that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for purposes including, but not limited to:
a. Initiation into any organization operating under the sanction of a postsecondary institution;
b. Admission into any organization operating under the sanction of a postsecondary institution;
c. Affiliation with any organization operating under the sanction of a postsecondary institution; or
d. The perpetuation or furtherance of a tradition or ritual of any organization operating under the sanction of a postsecondary institution.
The term includes, but is not limited to, pressuring or coercing the student into violating state or federal law; any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug, or other substance, or other forced physical activity that could adversely affect the physical health or safety of the student; or any activity that would subject the student to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contact, forced conduct that could result in extreme embarrassment, or other forced activity that could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the student. The term does not include customary athletic events or other similar contests or competitions or any activity or conduct that furthers a legal and legitimate objective.
“Student Organization” means 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.
“Retaliation” means to intimidate, threaten, coerce, harass, use violence, or discriminate against any individual for good faith reporting of alleged Hazing, or to engage in other conduct that would substantially discourage a reasonable person from reporting alleged Hazing, taking part in the investigation or resolution process, or making a good faith effort to intervene as a bystander. Hazing, as defined under this policy, includes Retaliation.
Reporting, Investigation and Resolution. In the case of an emergency, members of the University community are urged to contact 9-1-1 immediately. Hazing allegations may be reported to the Office of Student Services.
The Director of Student Services or designee will review any report of alleged Hazing and determine if an investigation is warranted. If an investigation is warranted, the Director of Student Services or designee will determine the format of investigation based on the nature of the allegation. Allegations against students will generally be handled in accordance with the “Code of Behavior and Disciplinary Procedures” section of the University’s latest Annual Security Report (“ASR”), including Honor Court proceedings as warranted. (The ASR is available at the Campus Safety page or from the Office of Student Services”). Allegations against employees will generally be handled in accordance with the University’s applicable human resources policies and procedures.
Sanctions for violations of this policy will be determined by the University as appropriate for the severity of the conduct and may include any sanction up to and including, (1) for students,
suspension and expulsion, (2) for recognized student organizations, loss of University recognition and rescission of permission to operate, and (3) for employees, termination.
Awareness and Prevention. FNU strives to equip the University community with tools and resources to prevent hazing, which may include skill building resources for bystander intervention, information on ethical leadership, and the promotion of strategies to build cohesion within student organizations without resorting to hazing.
Primary Prevention. All students, faculty and staff should familiarize themselves with this Anti-Hazing Policy and with the Student Hazing Prevention: Action Guide and Bystander Intervention Guide, both published by StopHazing.org. These publications contain a wealth of resources intended to stop hazing before it occurs, including research on hazing and its negative impacts, and research-informed, evidence-based guidance and prevention strategies for different campus constituencies. In addition to understanding the general principles on hazing, members of the University community are encouraged to take part in small-group hazing prevention activities suggested by these resources, under appropriate supervision by University leadership.
Additional Resources. The National Study of Student Hazing (2008) is one of the more comprehensive studies on hazing and hazing prevention. With 11,000 responses and over 300 interviews from 53 college campuses nationwide, the study illustrates the problems and challenges related to student hazing. Its findings include:
• 47% of students come to college having experienced hazing.
• 55% of college students involved in clubs, teams, and organizations experience hazing.
• Nine out of ten students who have experienced hazing behavior in college do not consider themselves to have been hazed.
• In 95% of the cases where students identified their experience as hazing, they did not report the events to campus officials.
• There are public aspects to student hazing, i.e., students talk with peers or a friend (48%), to another group member (41%), or to family (26%) about their hazing experiences.
Additional resources, educational videos, and other important content can be found through anti-hazing advocacy organizations such as Hazing Prevention (hazingprevention.org), Stop Hazing (stophazing.org), Inside Hazing (insidehazing.com), UVA’s Gordie Center (https://gordie.studenthealth.virginia.edu), and Penn State’s Piazza Center (https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/piazzacenter).
All members of the University community, particularly those in leadership roles relating to student organizations, are expected to avail themselves of these resources as appropriate to their roles.
Hazing Prosecution and Amnesty. In the State of Florida, Hazing can result in criminal prosecution and conviction.
A person commits hazing, a third degree felony, when he or she intentionally or recklessly commits any act of hazing upon another person who is a member of or an applicant to any type of student organization and the hazing results in serious bodily injury or death of such other person.
A person commits hazing, a first degree misdemeanor, when he or she intentionally or recklessly commits any act of hazing upon another person who is a member of or an applicant to any type of student organization and the hazing creates a substantial risk of physical injury or death to such other person.
Under Florida law, it is not a defense to a charge of hazing that:
• The consent of the victim had been obtained;
• The conduct or activity that resulted in the death or injury of a person was not part of an official organizational event or was not otherwise sanctioned or approved by the organization; or
• The conduct or activity that resulted in death or injury of the person was not done as a condition of membership to an organization.
However, under sections 1006.63(11)-(12), Florida Statutes, commonly known as Andrew’s Law, individuals may be protected from prosecution for Hazing, as defined under Andrew’s Law, if all of the following are established:
• That he or she was present at an event where, as a result of Hazing, a person appeared to be in need of immediate medical assistance.
• That he or she was the first person to call 911 or campus security to report the need for immediate medical assistance.
• That he or she provided his or her own name, the address where immediate medical assistance was needed, and a description of the medical issue to the 911 operator or campus security at the time of the call.
• That he or she remained at the scene with the person in need of immediate medical assistance until such medical assistance, law enforcement, or campus security arrived and that he or she cooperated with such personnel on the scene.
Under Andrew’s Law, notwithstanding the above, a person is immune from prosecution under this section if the person establishes that, before medical assistance, law enforcement, or campus security arrived on the scene of a Hazing event, the person rendered aid to the Hazing victim. For purposes of this provision, “aid” includes, but is not limited to, rendering cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the victim, clearing an airway for the victim to breathe, using a defibrillator to assist the victim, or rendering any other assistance to the victim which the person intended in good faith to stabilize or improve the victim’s condition while waiting for medical assistance, law enforcement, or campus security to arrive.
Campus Hazing Transparency Report (CHTR). On a biannual basis, FNU will publish and distribute a CHTR including summarized findings for any student organization found responsible for Hazing in violation of University policy. However, in accordance with the Stop Campus Hazing Act, no CHTR will be published or updated unless a covered hazing violation occurs during the relevant period.