Section 132Q-10-218 - Hazing(1) Hazing is any act committed as part of: (a) A person's recruitment, initiation, pledging, admission into, or affiliation with a student group;(b) Any pastime or amusement engaged in with respect to such a student group; or(c) That causes or is likely to cause, bodily danger or physical harm or serious psychological or emotional harm, to any student.(2) Examples of hazing include, but are not limited to:(a) Causing, directing, coercing, or forcing a person to consume any food, liquid, alcohol, drug, or other substance which subjects the person to risk of such harm;(b) Humiliation by the ritual act;(c) Striking another person with an object or body part;(d) Causing someone to experience excessive fatigue, or physical and/or psychological shock; or(e) Causing someone to engage in degrading or humiliating games or activities that create a risk of serious psychological, emotional, and/or physical harm.(3) "Hazing" does not include customary athletic events or other similar contests or competitions.(4) Consent is not a valid defense against hazing.(5) No student may conspire to engage in hazing or participate in the hazing of another. State law provides that hazing is a criminal offense, punishable as a misdemeanor.(6) Washington state law provides that: (a) Any student group that knowingly permits hazing is strictly liable for harm caused to persons or property resulting from hazing. If the organization, association, or student living group is a corporation whether for-profit or nonprofit, the individual directors of the corporation may be held individually liable for damages.(b) Any person who participates in the hazing of another shall forfeit any entitlement to state-funded grants, scholarships, or awards for a period of time determined by the college.(c) Student groups that knowingly permit hazing to be conducted by its members or by others subject to its direction or control shall be deprived of any official recognition or approval granted by the college.(d) Student groups found responsible for violating the code of student conduct, college anti-hazing policies, or state or federal laws relating to hazing or offenses related to alcohol, drugs, sexual assault, or physical assault will be disclosed in a public report issued by the college setting forth the name of the student group, the date the investigation began, the date the investigation ended, a finding of responsibility, a description of the incident(s) giving rise to the finding, and the details of the sanction(s) imposed, including the beginning and end dates of the sanction(s).(7) As described in WAC 132Q-10-140, a student organization and/or individual members may be subject to appropriate sanctions for student conduct violations.(8) Additional disciplinary sanctions for hazing violations can be found in WAC 132Q-10-400.Wash. Admin. Code § 132Q-10-218
Adopted by WSR 15-15-161, Filed 7/21/2015, effective 8/21/2015Amended by WSR 23-06-026, Filed 2/22/2023, effective 3/25/2023