Two more young men were killed in fraternity hazing incidents in the United States in March 2021. These deaths are among a growing number of college students who’ve lost their lives or been seriously injured as the result of hazing incidents associated with fraternities, sororities, and other organizations on campuses across the United States.
Four separate types of entities in the United States have taken steps allegedly designed to bring an end to dangerous fraternity hazing and hazing associated with other groups of organizations. These are:
- State governments have passed laws designed to stop fraternity hazing
- Local units of government in college and university towns have enacted ordinances to end fraternity hazing
- Colleges and universities have enacted sweeping rules to end fraternity hazing
- International, nation, and chapter-level fraternities have enacted rules to stop hazing
Despite what on the surface appears to be a concerted effort, hazing continues. Young people continue to be injured. Young people continue to die.
The most recent fraternity hazing deaths involved two young men. Stone Foltz was killed as the result of fraternity hazing Bowling Green State University. At about the same time, Collin Wiant died in a hazing incident at Ohio University.
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown from Ohio Introduces Anti-Hazing Bill
With the two most recent fraternity hazing deaths happening in U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s home state of Ohio, he has taken the initiative to introduce a bill to curtail the so-called “rite of initiation” across the country.
Senator Brown maintains that one of the reasons hazing simply doesn’t seem to end is because there is only limited reporting of what occurred when it happens. Pursuant to Brown’s legislation, a hazing incident would be required to be included in a college’s yearly crime report. Details of an incident would then be more readily available to prospective students and their parents, permitting them the ability to make informed decisions about pledging a particular fraternity. The mandate would be applicable to sororities and other student organizations cited for a hazing incident.
In bringing forth his anti-hazing legislation, Senator Brown stated that “this isn’t a rite of passage. It’s not fun and games in any way. It’s not something everyone does or everyone needs to do in schools. It’s dangerous. It threatens the health and safety and lives of far too many students.”
Collin Wiant’s Mother Speaks Out in Support of Federal Legislation
The mother of one of the two young men killed as the result of fraternity hazing in March, Kathleen Wiant, has spoken out forcefully in favor of the proposed federal law. She explained that if Senator Brown’s bill had been law when her son Collin was considering pledging a particularly fraternity, they would have known that the fraternity in question previously was suspended for hazing. Moreover, a prior pledge was hospitalized as the result of hazing-related head wound.
Kathleen Wiant has shared what she learned her son endured during the final weeks of his life as a result of fraternity hazing. According to Wiant, Collin was subjected to being belted, beaten, waterboarded, and forced to ingest drugs.
If you’ve been injured as the result of fraternity hazing, or if you’re a parent who has lost a son or daughter to some type of hazing at the university or even high school level, the legal team at The Doan Law Firm is here for you. You can connect with a Doan Law Firm fraternity hazing lawyer by calling us at (800) 349-0000 any time of the day or night. Our phone lines are staffed 365 days a year, including all major holidays.
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