Is it Illegal for Frats to Haze?

While there are no national laws regarding hazing, 44 states–including Ohio–do have laws making it illegal for frats to haze pledges.

If you or your child have been a victim of hazing, an Ohio hazing lawyer may be able to help you get compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages the hazing caused.

What Is Hazing?

Hazing is a form of initiation or ritual that involves harmful, humiliating, or degrading activities, which can be physical, mental, or emotional. 

If you or your child have been hazed by a fraternity, the fearless, experienced, and dedicated Ohio attorneys at Cooper Elliott can help you hold people responsible and get compensation for what you experienced.

For a free legal consultation, call 614-481-6000

The Dangers of Hazing

Hazing can cause emotional trauma, physical injuries, and even death.

Our firm is passionate about stopping the terrible cycle of hazing at fraternities. Too many young lives have been lost in the name of “tradition.”

Emotional Trauma

While you may not see any physical scars, the emotional trauma hazing causes can stick with somebody for a lifetime.

Emotional trauma may result from subtle forms of hazing, or it may be a side effect of violent hazing.

Physical Injuries

From branding to broken bones and water intoxication to alcohol poisoning, illegal hazing from frats can cause any number of physical injuries that may or may not ever fully heal.

Death

In some cases, hazing can even result in death.

While the most common way for somebody to die after hazing involves alcohol poisoning, there are many other ways that hazing can contribute either directly or indirectly to a young person’s death.

Is it Illegal for Frats to Haze?

While there is no federal law making it illegal for frats to haze pledges, Ohio and 43 other states have laws that specifically prohibit hazing. Most colleges and universities also have rules banning hazing.

Whether or not frat hazing is legal, an experienced hazing lawyer can help you pursue compensation from the university that allowed the hazing to happen.

Collin’s Law in Ohio

Named after Collin Wiant, a college student who died of alcohol poisoning during a frat hazing ritual, Collin’s Law increases penalties in Ohio for hazing offenses. It imposes stricter regulations on fraternities that engage in hazing.

The compassionate team at Cooper Elliott is proud to have represented Collin’s family and worked hard to ensure that Collin’s Law was passed to prevent other young men from dying the way he did.

National Anti-Hazing Laws

As of 2024, there are no national anti-hazing laws, although some other laws can be applied to hold frats accountable.

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Hazing and Fraternities

One reason hazing is so pervasive at colleges and universities is that fraternities have a long history of hazing people who want to join, and traditions are difficult to change, even when they’re harmful.

Fraternities and Hazing Culture

Originally seen as a way to test new members’ commitment to the fraternity and instill loyalty and brotherhood, hazing practices have become increasingly harmful and dangerous over time.

Fraternities’ Legal Obligations

Between a combination of institutional policies and state and national laws, fraternities have a legal obligation to prevent and address hazing activities.

Frats can be held liable for hazing incidents if they fail to take reasonable steps to prevent and address hazing activities.

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How an Ohio Hazing Lawyer Can Help

If you or your child have been a victim of hazing, a lawyer can help you pursue financial compensation and other unique solutions to get justice for what you experienced.

Investigate and Collect Evidence

The experienced attorneys at Cooper Elliott know what type of evidence we need and where to get it so we can prove that the frat or school is responsible for the hazing incident and, therefore, owes you compensation.

Prove Liability

We have lots of experience proving that fraternities and the institutions that support them are liable for hazing incidents and owe money to hazing victims.

Get You Maximum Compensation

We can negotiate a settlement with a frat, a school, or an insurance company, or we may need to take your case to trial.

Whatever it takes, we’ll fight to get you as much money as possible for the hazing incident.

No Fees Until We Win

Our compassionate attorneys aren’t interested in making a difficult time even harder, so we don’t ask for any money upfront.

Instead, we take a percentage of the money we collect in contingency fees, so you never have to pay us out of pocket.

With no upfront fees, schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today.

Schedule a Free Consultation With an Ohio Hazing Attorney

Whether it was you or your child who was harmed by a frat’s hazing rituals, the experienced Ohio hazing lawyers at Cooper Elliott will fight to get you the compensation you’re entitled to.

Our lawyers have used their combined century of experience to collect over $700 million for our clients.

Schedule a free, no-risk consultation today to find out how we may be able to help you.

Call or text 614-481-6000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form