Hazing Prevention

On December 23, 2024, President Biden signed into law the Stop Campus Hazing Act, which added Hazing as a Clery Reportable crime. In addition to providing crime statistics for hazing, Emory is required to publish a biannual Campus Hazing Transparency Report. The first publication of this report shall be published by December 23, 2025. The report will be published on Campus Life’s website. After the initial publication, the Campus Hazing Transparency Report will be published by January 15th and July 15th of each year. This report will include specific hazing programming that was offered, current campus policies regarding hazing, and a list of formal findings that will include:

  • Each incident for which a formal finding of guilt/responsibility/culpability is issued
  • The name of the affiliated organization
  • A general description of the violation that resulted in the formal finding
  • The Charges
  • The findings of the Institution
  • The sanctions placed on the organization
  • The dates of which the incident was alleged to have occurred
  • The dates of the violation that resulted in a formal finding
  • The dates the investigation was initiated
  • The dates of the investigation ended with the formal finding.

Starting in 2026, Hazing statistics will be included in the Annual Security Report. Hazing statistics located in the Annual Security Report encompass all reported  incidents of hazing. The Campus Hazing Transparency Report encompasses only formal disciplinary findings of hazing. 

The State of Georgia implemented the “Max Gruver Act” which requires all public and private institutions of higher education to display on their website a list of any reported hazing incidents and their student conduct dispositions. Emory is committed to providing a safe learning environment that supports the dignity of all college community members. In 2024, Emory had one adjudicated hazing case. Here is the link to Emory’s website outlining the “Max Gruver Act” and the updated list of incidents (https://campuslife.emory.edu/about/initiatives/hazing/history.html).

Anti-Hazing Policy

Per Emory’s Anti-Hazing Policy 8.11 (https://policies.emory.edu/8.11), Emory University prohibits hazing of any kind.

Hazing is defined as any action or situation created by an individual or group that inflicts, intends to inflict, or has the potential to inflict emotional and/or physical harm, or that may demean, degrade, disgrace, embarrass, harass, or humiliate any person regardless of location, intent, or consent of participations for the purpose of initiation into, affiliation with, admission to, holding office in, or as a condition for continued membership in a group, team, club, or other organization.

Prohibited conduct includes any activities for which the group, team, club, or organization engages in, promotes, or facilitates that negatively impact prospective, active, or new members’ physical and emotional well-being or have no legitimate educational purpose. Actions or activities prohibited by this policy include, but are not limited to, activities involve or have the potential to involve:

  • Risk or injury to any individual or group.
  • Embarrassment or ridicule to any individual or group.
  • Harassment of any individual or group.
  • Acts of personal servitude of any individual or group.
  • Willful destruction and/or removal of public or private property for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in any organization.
  • Forced activities that are sexual in nature.

Using the standard of preponderance of the evidence, students will be referred through the disciplinary process for the student’s school outlined in Policy 8.1 (https://policies.emory.edu/8.1) whereas employees will be referred through the disciplinary process outlined in Policy 4.62 (https://policies.emory.edu/4.62).

 If a student is found responsible through the disciplinary process, sanctions imposed include, but are not limited to: expulsion, suspension, disciplinary probation, formal warning, loss of privileges, housing restriction/relocation, no contact directive, restitution, mandated community service, mandated meetings, educational projects, or other sanctions as deemed appropriate.

For employees found in violation of this policy include, but are not limited to: termination, suspension, or other disciplinary action.