Hazing

Updated August 2025

2.25 | Hazing

2.25.A | In accordance with the Campus Hazing Act (H.R. 5646), any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person (whether individually or in concert with other persons) against another person or persons, regardless of the willingness to participate, that is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a registered student organization or student group (e.g., a club, athletic team, fraternity, or sorority) and causes or creates a risk above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the IHE or the organization, of physical or psychological injury. Examples of physical and psychological injury can include, but are not limited to:

1. Misuse of authority by virtue of one’s class rank or leadership position, such as assigning acts of servitude.
2. Whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone’s body, or similar activity.
3. Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity.
4. Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances.
5. Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts.
6. Any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct.
7. Any activity that requires a violation of the WTAMU Student Handbook.
8. Any activity that induces, causes, or requires another person to perform a duty or task that involves a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law.

2.25.B | For purposes of this definition, a ‘student group’ means an organization at an institution of higher education in which two or more of the members are students enrolled at the institution of higher education, whether or not the organization is established or recognized by the institution. This is in alignment with the Campus Hazing Act (H.R. 5646).

2.25.C | In alignment with WT’s Amnesty policies, students who are recipients and/or victims of hazing (and who have not perpetrated hazing behavior on others involved in the fact pattern for which they are reporting) and who report the activities to the VP for Student Affairs or designee responsible for oversight of the student conduct processes and/or the University Police Department, will not be charged with a violation of the hazing rule.

2.25.D | Having firsthand knowledge of the planning or occurrence of a hazing incident and failing to report it to appropriate university officials (e.g., the Vice President for Student Affairs, at JBK Suite 102, 806-651-2389, Human Resource Office, 806-651-2114, or the University Police Department, 806-651-2300) is a violation.

2.25.E | The hazing rule is not intended to prohibit the following conduct:

1. Customary public athletic events, contests, or competitions that are sponsored by the University or the organized and supervised practices associated with such events; or
2. Activity or conduct that furthers the goals of a legitimate educational curriculum, a legitimate extracurricular program or a legitimate military training program as defined and approved by the University.

2.25.F | Hazing is a violation of Federal law (H.R. 5646), Texas state law under Texas Education Code Sections 37.151 and 51.936, and TAMU System Policy 07.01 – Ethics.