Stop Campus Hazing Act Statement

The City University of New York (“CUNY”) is committed to ensuring a safe environment in which all students have the right to participate in organizations without undergoing hazing as a right of entry or membership. Hazing is strictly prohibited by CUNY, consistent with the Rules and Regulations for the Maintenance of Public Order Pursuant to Article 129-A of the Educational Law (the “Henderson Rules”). The Henderson Rules prohibit, among other things:

Any action or situation which recklessly or intentionally endangers mental or physical health or involves the forced consumption of liquor or drugs for the purpose of initiation into or affiliation with any organization.

Thus, no individual or organization affiliated with CUNY shall conduct or condone hazing activities. This prohibition on hazing applies to all members of the CUNY community including faculty, staff, students, organizations, alumni, volunteers, and any visitors or individuals invited to CUNY campuses. Additionally, the prohibition of hazing applies to conduct that occurs on or off a campus, between two or more people who are affiliated with CUNY or any student or other organization associated with CUNY.

Moreover, hazing may also violate the New York State Penal Law if, during another person’s initiation into or affiliation with any organization, an individual intentionally or recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk of physical injury and/or causes physical injury to another person.^[1] Under the New York State Penal Law, hazing may be charged as a Class A misdemeanor or a violation.

Complaints of hazing will be investigated in accordance with applicable CUNY policies and regulations including, but not limited to, the Henderson Rules, the Policy on Sexual Misconduct, the Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy, and the Policy Against Drugs and Alcohol. Complaints may be filed against students as well as CUNY faculty and staff. Further, pursuant to Article 15.2(2)(c) of the CUNY Bylaws, any person or organization affiliated with CUNY or any of its constituent colleges may file a complaint with the chief student affairs officer if there is reason to believe that a student organization has violated CUNY policies and/or regulations. It is against CUNY policy, moreover, to retaliate against anyone who files a complaint or otherwise participates in the investigation of a complaint.

During the investigation both the complainant and the accused will be given the opportunity to be interviewed and to provide evidence. Witnesses may also be interviewed, and other evidence gathered as well. At the conclusion of the investigation, a determination will be made as to whether the allegations are substantiated.

If allegations are substantiated, the matter may be referred for disciplinary action in accordance with the procedures in the CUNY Bylaws and any applicable collective bargaining agreement. Any student found to have engaged in hazing may be subject to a range of sanctions up to and including suspension and expulsion. Any employee found to have violated this CUNY policy may be subject to disciplinary action, in accordance with the procedures set forth in applicable CUNY policies, rules, regulations, and collective bargaining agreements. Moreover, as noted above, hazing may also violate the New York State Penal Law and, as such, acts of hazing may also result in arrest and prosecution by law enforcement authorities.

On December 23, 2024, Congress passed The Stop Campus Hazing Act, which amends section 485(f) of the Higher Education Act, also known as the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (the “Act”). The Act requires institutions to define hazing, compile statistics on reported cases, and establish transparent policies for reporting and preventing hazing. Further, the Act requires colleges and universities to report hazing incidents in annual security reports (“ASR”). The Act also requires institutions to create a Campus Hazing Transparency Report that lists organizations found responsible for hazing in violation of campus policy. Accordingly, this statement outlines CUNY’s obligations under the Act.

The Act’s Hazing Definitions^[2]

As amended, the Act requires incidents of hazing, as defined by the Act, to be reported in the ASR. For purposes of reporting incidents of hazing in the ASR, the Act defines Hazing as follows:

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 of such other person or persons to participate, that:

1. is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a student organization; and

2. causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the institution of higher education or the organization (such as the physical preparation necessary for participation in an athletic team), of physical or psychological injury.

In addition to defining hazing, the Act provides a non-exhaustive list of examples of hazing including, but not limited to, the following:

1. whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing harmful substances on someone's body, or similar activity;

2. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity;

3. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances;

4. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;

5. any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct;

6. any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, state, or federal law; and

7. any activity that induces, causes, or requires another person to perform a duty or task that involves a criminal violation of local, state, or federal law.

Additionally for purposes of reporting in the ASR, Student Organization is defined by the Act as:

An organization at an institution of higher education (such as a club, society, association, varsity or junior varsity athletic team, club sports team, fraternity, sorority, band, or student government) 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/registered by the institution.

Campus Hazing Transparency Report

The Act further requires institutions to create a Campus Hazing Transparency Report (the “CHTR”) that lists organizations found responsible for hazing, and the associated violations, sanctions, and investigation dates. The CHTR must disclose a summary of incidents in which student organizations established or recognized by the institution were found to have committed a hazing violation. If a student organization established or recognized by the institution is found to have committed a hazing violation, a summary of that finding must be included in the CHTR, regardless of where the misconduct occurred. In other words, for the purposes of the CHTR, the Act’s definition of “campus” does not apply and, as such, the Report should include substantiated incidents of hazing even if they did not occur on “campus” as defined by the Act. In other words, the CHTR must report hazing incidents that violate the Henderson Rules, irrespective of whether they meet the definition of hazing as defined by the Act.

The annual CHTR will be maintained by the campus and monitored by the CUNY Department of Public Safety. The Office of Student Affairs will further support the maintenance of CHTR data to ensure the accuracy and consistency of these reports.According to the Act, data summarizing findings associated with any student organization found to be in violation of the institution’s standards related to hazing will be compiled and published on the institution’s website. This report will be updated biannually and will include:

• The name of the student organization;

• A description of the violation that resulted in a finding of responsibility, including:

  • Whether the violation involved the abuse or illegal use of alcohol or drugs;

  • The findings of the institution;

  • The sanctions placed on the institution; and

• Related dates regarding the incident and investigation, including:

  • The date of the incident;

  • The date the investigation began;

  • The date the investigation ended with a finding that a hazing violation occurred; and

  • The date the institution provided notice to the student organization that the incident resulted in a hazing violation.

Following the initial report date of December 23, 2025, each campus is required to provide all relevant information on its website and to submit such information to the CUNY Department of Public Safety by March 1 and September 1 to assure CUNY compliance with this policy.

Education and Training

Pursuant to the Act, institutions are also required to implement research-informed prevention programs and ensure compliance with local, state, and tribal laws enhancing student safety and accountability. CUNY’s Office of Student Affairs will coordinate training sessions.

CUNY Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy

CUNY Drug/Alcohol Use Amnesty Policy

Policy-on-Sexual-Misconduct.pdf

[1] See New York State Penal Law sections 120.16 and 120.17.

[2] The Act’s terms are defined at 20 U.S.C. § 1092(f)(6)(A).

2025 Campus Hazing Transparency Report