about hazing
Spring Hill College is committed to the holistic development of its students, guided by the Jesuit value of cura personalis. This principle calls us to foster an environment where every student is respected, supported, and challenged to grow intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. As part of this mission, the College strictly prohibits hazing in any form and is dedicated to prevention, education, and accountability in alignment with both federal and state law.
Hazing activities are illegal in the state of Alabama, prohibited by College policies and regulations, and an affront to our institutional values and character. Spring Hill College (“SHC”) seeks to prevent students from experiencing hazing by educating the campus community, promptly addressing alleged hazing activities and fostering a culture of mutual responsibility.
Hazing is
Alabama Law, Alabama Code 16-1-23
Hazing is defined as follows:
(1) Any willful action taken or situation created, whether on or off any school, college, university, or other educational premises, which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health of any student, or
(2) Any willful act on or off any school, college, university, or other educational premises by any person alone or acting with others in striking, beating, bruising, or maiming; or seriously offering, threatening, or attempting to strike, beat, bruise, or maim, or to do or seriously offer, threaten, or attempt to do physical violence to any student of any such educational institution or any assault upon any such students made for the purpose of committing any of the acts, or producing any of the results to such student as defined in this section.
(3) The term hazing as defined in this section does not include customary athletic events or similar contests or competitions, and is limited to those actions taken and situations created in connection with initiation into or affiliation with any organization. The term hazing does not include corporal punishment administered by officials or employees of public schools when in accordance with policies adopted by local boards of education.
(b) No person shall engage in what is commonly known and recognized as hazing, or encourage, aid, or assist any other person thus offending.
(c) No person shall knowingly permit, encourage, aid, or assist any person in committing the offense of hazing, or willfully acquiesce in the commission of such offense, or fail to report promptly his knowledge or any reasonable information within his knowledge of the presence and practice of hazing in this state to the chief executive officer of the appropriate school, college, university, or other educational institution in this state. Any act of omission or commission shall be deemed hazing under the provisions of this section.
(d) Any person who shall commit the offense of hazing shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor as defined by Title 13A.
(e) Any person who participates in the hazing of another, or any organization associated with a school, college, university, or other educational institution in this state which knowingly permits hazing to be conducted by its members or by others subject to its direction or control, shall forfeit any entitlement to public funds, scholarships, or awards which are enjoyed by him or by it and shall be deprived of any sanction or approval granted by the school, college, university, or other educational institution.
(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed as in any manner affecting or repealing any law of this state respecting homicide, or murder, manslaughter, assault with intent to murder, or aggravated assault
Stop Campus Hazing Act: Public Law No. 118-173 (12/23/2024)
The act defines the term hazing to mean 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, athletic team, fraternity, or sorority); and (2) causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the IHE or the organization, of physical or psychological injury.
- Examples of activities falling within the definition of hazing when it occurs between members of the same student group, include, but are not limited to:
- Academic Jeopardy
- Blindfolding: Forcing a member or aspiring member to wear blindfolds during any activity.
- Dangerous Activities: Requiring members or aspiring members to complete scavenger hunts, road trips, quests, treasure hunts, abandonment, or kidnapping. This restriction on road trips cannot be skirted by having the member or new member meet at a certain location.
- Deprivation: Depriving a member or aspiring member of sleep (minimum six hours uninterrupted per night), decent meals, or the opportunity to maintain bodily cleanliness (uninterrupted and private).
- Endangerment: Any willful action taken or situation created, whether on or off University premises, that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health of any member or aspiring member.
- Excessive Physical Activity: Demanding a member or aspiring member to complete physical activity that causes excessive fatigue or fear.
- Humiliating Activities: Requiring members or aspiring members to complete morally degrading or humiliating games or activities.
- Illegal or Immoral Conduct: Requiring or encouraging a member or aspiring member’s participation in any activity that is illegal, immoral, contrary to the individual’s religious beliefs, indecent, or perverse, such as theft, vandalism, public profanity, lewd conduct, or public nudity.
- Medication Deprivation: Depriving a member or aspiring member of access to any prescribed medications.
- Psychological/Mental Health: Any activity that causes or has the potential to cause mental, emotional, or psychological harm, distress, or intimidation to an individual, including activities that are likely to shame, humiliate, belittle, or degrade an individual, regardless of a person’s willingness to participate.
- Striking: Physically striking another member or an aspiring member of the same student group.
- Substance Abuse: Requiring or encouraging a member or aspiring member to consume alcohol, drugs, or revolting substances, such as salt water, excessive amounts of water, raw eggs, meats, onion, or garlic.
Hazing is illegal under Alabama state law. You can find more information here: Alabama State Law
Under federal law, institutions are required to report all incidents of hazing. You can find more information here: Federal Law
The National Collegiate Athletics Association also prohibits hazing. You can find their policies here: NCAA Hazing Prevention Handbook
SHC’s full outline of our anti-hazing policy, including procedures for reporting hazing incidents, can be found here: SHC Anti-Hazing Policy