New Pennsylvania Anti-Hazing Law Will Apply To High Schools, Too

A new anti-hazing law that has been passed in the Pennsylvania state legislature that will require middle schools and high schools to take additional measures to prevent hazing in their districts. 

The new law amends language in previous legislation that applied only to colleges. That law dates back to 1986, and had not been amended since. 

House Bill 1574, championed by several local lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, gained significant momentum locally after the alleged football hazing and sodomy incident at Conestoga High School.

“This expansion of the current anti-hazing law, which currently applies only to institutes of higher education, is a huge step in keeping Pennsylvania students protected from bullying and abuse,” Governor Wolf said in a statement in May. “Children need to feel safe during the school day, as well as after school, in order to achieve the highest educational success. This bill will allow schools take necessary steps to help ensure that.”

Locally, State Senator Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) has been at the forefront of the call for updated legislation since the beginning.

Under the new law, now called Act 31 of 2016, all anti-hazing guidelines previously in place for colleges and universities will now be applied high schools and middle schools, from grades 7 through 12.

Specifically, the governing board of all Pennsylvania school districts must now write out specific guidelines for their schools. 

"Each institution and each governing board of a secondary school shall adopt a written antihazing policy and, pursuant to tha tpolicy, shall adopt rules prohibiting students or other persons associated with any organization...from engaging in any activity which can be described as hazing," the amended text of the law reads.

According to the Governor's office, other important amendments made in the new law include:

• Prohibited hazing behaviors apply to any person, not just students
• Anti-hazing policy must be posted on institution's website
• Adds expulsion as a possible penalty for hazing

The new law was passed in the PA House and Senate in May in bipartisan fashion and immediately signed by Gov. Wolf. It will go into effect in July.