Hazing is a form of initiation or ritual that involves activities that are humiliating, dangerous, or degrading. Hazing is illegal because hazing can have serious consequences, both physically and emotionally, including death.
If you or your child were the victims of hazing, an Ohio hazing lawyer may be able to help you hold the responsible parties liable and force them to pay you compensation for the pain and suffering you or your child endured at the hands of others in the name of “initiation.”
What Is Hazing?
A form of ritual or initiation involving activities that are degrading, humiliating, or dangerous, hazing activities may be emotional, mental, or physical.
Our fearless, experienced, and dedicated Ohio lawyers have plenty of experience standing up for hazing victims.
We even helped pass Collin’s Law, which is Ohio’s anti-hazing statute, so contact us today if you or your child experienced hazing.
Types of Hazing
There are three main types of illegal hazing:
- Subtle hazing, which includes things like name-calling, social isolation, and deception
- Harassment hazing, which includes things like yelling, forced confinement, and sleep deprivation
- Violent hazing, which includes things like forced or coerced alcohol or drug consumption, branding, and public nudity
For a free legal consultation, call 614-481-6000
The Dangers of Hazing
If you should know one thing about our firm, it’s that we’re all too familiar with the dangers of hazing because we represented Collin L. Wiant, who died as a result of hazing at Ohio University in November 2018.
In addition to death, hazing can cause serious physical injuries or emotional trauma.
Emotional Trauma
While emotional trauma may not be visible to outsiders, the mental scars from hazing can still last a lifetime.
Victims of emotional trauma from hazing are just as deserving of compensation as victims who suffered more visible types of hazing.
Physical Injuries
Hazing can cause or contribute to broken bones, water intoxication, alcohol poisoning, and other serious physical injuries.
Death
At least one hazing death happened in the United States each year from 1959 through 2021.
Anti-Hazing Laws
As of 2024, 44 U.S. states have anti–hazing laws on the books. However, the details and consequences vary greatly from state to state.
In some places, hazing is only a misdemeanor, even if it results in death, and some states list hazing as solely a collegiate or fraternal behavior.
Collin’s Law in Ohio
Collin’s Law is an Ohio law named after Collin Wiant, a college student who died of alcohol poisoning during a fraternity hazing ritual. The law aims to prevent hazing-related injuries and deaths by increasing penalties for hazing offenses and imposing stricter regulations on organizations that engage in hazing activities.
Key provisions of Collin’s Law include:
- Increased penalties: The law increased the penalties for hazing offenses, including the possibility of jail time.
- Mandatory reporting: Schools, colleges, and universities are required to report incidents of hazing to law enforcement.
- Educational requirements: Institutions are required to provide education and training to students, faculty, and staff about the dangers of hazing.
- Civil liability: Individuals and organizations involved in hazing can be held civilly liable for any injuries or damages caused by hazing activities.
National Anti-Hazing Laws
Unfortunately, there are no nationwide anti-hazing laws in the United States.
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Why You Should Hire an Ohio Hazing Lawyer
Colleges, universities, and other institutions have a responsibility to prevent hazing.
If you or your child were the victim of hazing, an experienced Ohio hazing lawyer from Cooper Elliott may be able to help you sue the institution that allowed the hazing, allowing us to get you money for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages.
We Gather Evidence
Once you tell us what happened, we’ll start collecting evidence to prove that hazing occurred, that the institution did nothing to prevent it, and that you or your child suffered damages as a result of the illegal hazing.
We Seek Creative Solutions
Not only do we fight to get you financial compensation, but at Cooper Elliott, we’re committed to finding solutions that help you feel like you have a proper resolution.
One example is how we fought hard to get Collin’s Law passed after he lost his life due to hazing.
We Get You Maximum Compensation
Whether we’re able to negotiate a settlement with an insurance carrier or whether we take your case to trial, we’ll do our best to get you as much money as possible for the hazing you or your child experienced.
No Fee Until We Win
Since our experienced hazing attorneys work on contingency fees, you never have to reach into your pocket to pay us.
We’ll take a percentage of the money we get for you and nothing until then. With no upfront fees, schedule a free consultation now.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Ohio Hazing Lawyer
If you need an Ohio hazing lawyer to help you or your child get compensation for the trauma of being hazed, schedule a free consultation with Cooper Elliott today. Our team can explain more about what hazing is and what it’s illegal.
Our attorneys have more than a century of combined experience and have recovered over $700 million for our clients.
Let us help you get the compensation you deserve.
Call or text 614-481-6000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
