Hazing

Hazing Prevention

Alabama A&M University is committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all students. Hazing in any form is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated in any organization, group, or activity. In compliance with the Campus Stop Hazing Act, we provide resources, training, and transparency to educate the campus community and prevent hazing.

Definition of Hazing

Section 16-1-23 Criminal Code of Alabama

  1. Hazing is defined as follows:
  2. Any willful action taken or situation created, whether on or off any school, college, university, or other educational premises, which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health of any student, or
  3. Any willful act on or off any school, college, university, or other educational premises by any person alone or acting with others in striking, beating, bruising, or maiming; or seriously offering, threatening, or attempting to strike, beat, bruise, or maim, or to do or seriously offer, threaten, or attempt to do physical violence to any student of any such educational institution or any assault upon any such students made for the purpose of committing any of the acts, or producing any of the results to such student as defined in this section.
  4. The term hazing as defined in this section does not include customary athletic events or similar contests or competitions, and is limited to those actions taken and situations created in connection with initiation into or affiliation with any organization. The term hazing does not include corporal punishment administered by officials or employees of public schools when in accordance with policies adopted by local boards of education.
  5. No person shall engage in what is commonly known and recognized as hazing, or encourage, aid, or assist any other person thus offending.
  6. No person shall knowingly permit, encourage, aid, or assist any person in committing the offense of hazing, or willfully acquiesce in the commission of such offense, or fail to report promptly his knowledge or any reasonable information within his knowledge of the presence and practice of hazing in this state to the chief executive officer of the appropriate school, college, university, or other educational institution in this state. Any act of omission or commission shall be deemed hazing under the provisions of this section.
  7. Any person who shall commit the offense of hazing shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor as defined by Title 13A.
  8. Any person who participates in the hazing of another, or any organization associated with a school, college, university, or other educational institution in this state which knowingly permits hazing to be conducted by its members or by others subject to its direction or control, shall forfeit any entitlement to public funds, scholarships, or awards which are enjoyed by him or by it and shall be deprived of any sanction or approval granted by the school, college, university, or other educational institution.
  9. Nothing in this section shall be construed as in any manner affecting or repealing any law of this state respecting homicide, or murder, manslaughter, assault with intent to murder, or aggravated assault.

Under Alabama law, hazing is a misdemeanor, but the actions taken in order to haze can be felonies. Providing alcohol to a minor, assault, kidnapping, sexual assault/rape, and in the worst-case scenario manslaughter or murder all carry severe penalties.

Anti-Hazing Policy

From the AAMU Student Code of Conduct:

2.20 HAZING. Any action taken or situation of intimidation created, intentionally, whether on or off campus, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, ridicule, or the breaking of school’s rules. Activities considered to be hazing include two elements: (1) Coercion, either overt or covert, and (2) Production of physical or mental discomfort, in either the participant(s) or spectators.

It is strictly prohibited for a person or organization to, in the course of another person’s initiation into or affiliation with any organization, intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct which creates a substantial risk of physical injury to such other person or to a third person.

INDIVIDUAL SANCTIONS: Suspension; Expulsion

ORGANIZATION SANTIONS: Suspension; Fines; Loss of Charter

Mandatory Anti-Hazing Education Requirement

All students seeking membership in any campus organization with a selection, intake, or recruitment process are required to complete the AAMU Anti-Hazing Education Training prior to participation. The training must be completed in the academic year in which the student participates in membership intake. Failure to complete this training will result in ineligibility for membership intake.

All active members of organizations (i.e. fraternities, sororities, band, organizations, etc.) with a selection, intake, or recruitment process are required to complete the AAMU Anti-Hazing Education Training. Failure to complete this training will result in specified members and/or the organization being denied approval to conduct membership intake.

The Anti-Hazing Education Training Program is provided in a hybrid format. Students must attend the in-person information session in order to gain access to the online module.

The Training Program will be hosted at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters. All students interested in membership intake will be assessed a $15 fee to complete the training.

Fall 2025 Training Dates: Coming Soon

Reporting Hazing

To report hazing, please use one of the resources below.

Resources

AAMU Health & Counseling Services

Hazing Prevention Resources:

Overhead view of campus

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