Hazing Prevention Speaker

Catharine Carmody

Co-Editor in Chief

Posted Feb. 2, 2020

The 2020 spring semester is now underway, and the office of Student Life has already been busy with organizing events and campus speakers. On January 23, Brian Bluth, Esq. came to speak to students about the Timothy Piazza Anti-Hazing Law. His presentation ran for an hour and covered how this law impacts our campus and its students. The Timothy Piazza Anti-Hazing Law has been on the books in Pennsylvania since fall of 2018, and has been part of the growing nationwide concern of the effects of hazing. 

Mr. Bluth, a local lawyer, spoke to the students in detail about how the law works, and how it might affect students and organizations across Lycoming College, as well as any other universities in the state. He went over the differences between Lycoming College’s rules and responsibilities, as compared to the overall legal responsibilities as laid out in the law. 

Hazing, as defined by the law, refers to an abusive, harmful form of forced actions or behaviors associated with initiation or association with a group. Due in part to the tragic events at Penn State (which involves the case that gives this law its name), hazing and hazing activities are unfortunately tied to various college activities. This law helps to not only prohibit, but seriously punish those who engage in hazing activities across any type of organization at any schooling level. 

This law’s comprehensive nature is a step up from previous anti-hazing legislature, as it doesn’t discriminate between types of organizations that may be liable (meaning that it refers to athletics, clubs, fraternity and sorority life, etc.) and it does in fact extend down to high school and lower grade levels. 

Mr. Bluth’s talk helped enlighten students about the various aspects of this law, as well as highlight the importance of always prioritizing an individual’s well-being in crisis situations. Aside from the legal ramifications he spoke about, he emphasized that this focus was lost in the recent hazing-related tragedies, such as Timothy Piazza’s death at Penn State. 

This combined effort of the offices of Student Life, Athletics and Fraternity and Sorority Life (in conjunction with the Sorority Life Taskforce) has started the semester off on an informative high point. Mr. Bluth helped educate the college community on an important law, and shed some light on this nation-wide news topic.