Four Republican state senators introduced legislation Monday that increases prison time for anyone convicted of being involved in the hazing death or serious injury of a Georgia college student.
The penalty could be as much as 10 years in prison if the hazing results in serious bodily harm or death, and up to five years for someone who fails to help a hazing victim.
Hazing, described in state law as the submission of a student to an activity which is likely to endanger that person, is currently a misdemeanor, which carries up to a year of jail time. The legislation, Senate Bill 423, makes some hazing crimes a felony, which increases the sentence.
Hazing often occurs in fraternities or sororities by members pressuring or forcing students seeking membership to drink excessive amounts of alcohol or through physical abuse.
College leaders have been pressured in recent years to prevent hazing on campus. Some organizations have called for disbanding all college fraternities and sororities to stop hazing.
Several Georgia students have died from hazing in recent years. A former Louisiana State University student was sent to prison last month for his role in the 2017 alcohol-related hazing death of Max Gruver, a freshman from Roswell. Fifteen Florida A&M University marching band students were charged in connection with the 2011 death of Southwest DeKalb High School graduate Robert Champion, which prosecutors said resulted from hazing. Many took plea deals.
Hazing has been a problem for some Georgia universities. The University of Georgia has suspended a fraternity and put a Greek organization on probation for hazing-related incidents in recent months, according to media reports. The University of North Georgia suspended a fraternity and two sororities in 2018 amid a hazing investigation.
The bill also requires students to read documents from the school about hazing prevention in order to participate in various student organizations.
The bill’s lead sponsor is John Albers, an Alpharetta Republican who is chairman of the senate’s public safety committee. The co-sponsors are Brandon Beach of Alpharetta, Kay Kirkpatrick of Marietta and P.K. Martin of Lawrenceville.
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