TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Troy Singleton that would make a student ineligible for state financial aid upon a conviction for hazing passed the Senate Higher Education Committee today.
“For too long, hazing has been used as a rite of passage into college fraternities and sororities. It is dangerous, it is irresponsible, and tragically, it is sometimes deadly,” said Senator Singleton (D-Burlington). “However, as a member of a Greek organization, I am saying ‘enough is enough.’ If students are found guilty of hazing another student they should fully understand the seriousness of this illegal practice and what’s at stake. If we want students to stop hazing, there needs to be real consequences for their actions.”
Recent high-profile hazing incidents, such as the death of a fraternity pledge at Penn State in February 2017, LSU in September 2017 and Florida State in November 2017, demonstrate that hazing continues to be a problem comes with severe and fatal consequences. The bill would seek to establish an additional deterrent to hazing by taking away a convicted hazer’s eligibility for state financial aid.
The bill, S-3039, was released from committee by a vote of 3-0, and next heads to the full Senate for further consideration.