Anti-Hazing Policy

Longwood University is committed to the belief that abusive behavior, harassment and assault does not build character, does not build leadership skills, and does not foster group loyalty or unity.

• Anti-Hazing Policy (pdf)
• Campus Hazing Transparency Report

The Anti-Hazing Policy includes definitions, information on the Campus Hazing Transparency Report, information on how to report hazing, enforcement of the policy, and new member development requirements.

For the purposes of reporting statistics on hazing incidents, hazing, as defined by the Stop Campus Hazing Act, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1070, 1092 (2024) is 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, [e.g., a club, student government, athletic team, fraternity, or sorority]
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 but not limited to:
   • 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.
   • 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 is a criminal offense under Virginia Code: § 18.2-56, which states:

Hazing unlawful; civil and criminal liability; duty of school, etc., officials; penalty.

1. It shall be unlawful to haze so as to cause bodily injury, any student at any school, college, or university. Any person found guilty thereof shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
2. Any person receiving bodily injury by hazing shall have a right to sue, civilly, the person or persons guilty thereof, whether adults or infants.
3. The president or other presiding official of any school, college or university receiving appropriations from the state treasury shall, upon satisfactory proof of the guilt of any student hazing another student, sanction and discipline such student in accordance with the institution's policies and procedures. The institution's policies and procedures shall provide for expulsions or other appropriate discipline based on the facts and circumstances of each case and shall be consistent with the model policies established by the Department of Education or the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, as applicable. The president or other presiding official of any school, college or university receiving appropriations from the state treasury shall report hazing which causes bodily injury to the attorney for the Commonwealth of the county or city in which such school, college or university is, who shall take such action as he deems appropriate.
4. For the purposes of this section, "hazing" means to recklessly or intentionally endanger the health or safety of a student or students or to inflict bodily injury on a student or students in connection with or for the purpose of initiation, admission into or affiliation with or as a condition for continued membership in a club, organization, association, fraternity, sorority, or student body regardless of whether the student or students so endangered or injured participated voluntarily in the relevant activity.