Senate to consider House hazing bills for uniform policies, holding organizations accountable

by

Desare Frazier

• Published on February 23, 2021 • Comments

Mississippi State Capitol
Desare C. Frazier

Two Mississippi House bills are in the Senate that would create a uniform hazing policy and impose fines for organizations that don’t comply.

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House Bill 6 requires the Mississippi College Board create a uniform hazing policy for all universities. The bill defines hazing as any reckless act that causes physical or emotional harm directed against another person. House Democrat Gregory Holloway of Hazlehurst is on the universities and colleges committee.

“They make you do things like drink alcohol to the extent you can’t drink anymore. If you’re not a smoker they may have you to smoke cigarettes and they may have you do some very unscrupulous things that’s really against your will,” said Holloway.

Under the measure, the college board would have to create a hazing prevention policy for campus organizations and student orientations by August 1, of this year. According to the University of Dayton, 55 percent of students in college clubs, teams and organizations experience hazing.

Another bill, heading to the Senate, HB 5, would fine an organization that knows of hazing and doesn’t report it $10,000 and it would lose any public funds it receives.