"Sam's Law" - Hazing Prevention
Sam鈥檚 Law is the name of new anti-hazing legislation adopted in Washington State in 2022. It is named after Sam Martinez, a freshman at Washington State University who died of alcohol poisoning at a fraternity party in November 2019. The new law updates the definition of hazing and requires institutions of higher education to implement anti-hazing programming for employees and students. It also requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) to publish an annual report identifying student organizations, athletic teams, and living groups found responsible for engaging in hazing.
Hazing is prohibited within the 黑料社 community. Hazing is any conduct committed as part of a person鈥檚 recruitment, initiation, pledging, admission into, or affiliation with a student organization, athletic team, or living group (collectively 鈥渟tudent groups鈥�) or any pastime or amusement engaged in with respect to such a student group that causes, or is likely to cause, bodily danger or physical harm, or serious psychological or emotional harm, to any student or other person attending Lower Columbia College, including causing, directing, coercing, or forcing a person to consume any food, liquid, alcohol, drug, or other substance which subjects the person to risk of such harm, regardless of the person's willingness to participate. "Hazing" does not include customary athletic events or other similar contests or competitions. This prohibition applies to conduct that may occur both on and off campus.
Additional information about anti-hazing law is located in and .
Reports and/or findings about hazing activity will be posted here as they become available.
The college may impose disciplinary sanctions against a student or Student Group, who commits, attempts to commit, aids, abets, incites, encourages, or assists another person to commit, an act(s) of misconduct, which includes, but is not limited to hazing.
For more information please see the
If, as a result of observations or information received in the course of employment or volunteer service, any employee, including a student employee, or volunteer at 黑料社 has reasonable cause to believe that hazing has occurred, the employee or volunteer shall report the incident, or cause a report to be made, to the Director of Security, Jason Arrowsmith, directly at jarrowsmith@lowercolumbia.edu or through the College鈥檚 Make-A-Report system. The employee or volunteer shall make the report at the first opportunity to do so.
For the full policy and procedure please see Policy 268 and procedure 268.1A below
黑料社 provides an online training program, Voices for Change, Hazing and Intimidation, which defines hazing, its prevalence on college campuses, myths, and what students can do to prevent hazing. As part of the college鈥檚 Title IX training for student athletes, student government, and other student organizations, members of the Title IX team provided in person training to all 黑料社 student athletes, and members of AS黑料社, Speech and Debate, and Drama club during fall quarter 2022.
The hazing prevention committee promotes and addresses hazing prevention.