Willow Hill School

 Willow Hill School

 

The Massachusetts anti-hazing statute, which is reproduced below, broadly defines hazing to include “any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person.” 

Examples of conduct that can constitute hazing include:

·         Whipping or beating

·         Forced calisthenics or other physical activity

·         Exposure to the weather

·         Forced consumption of any food, beverage, drug or other substance

·         Extended isolation

·         Extended deprivation of sleep or rest

The consent of a participant in hazing is no defense to criminal prosecution or disciplinary action by the School.

Any employee of the School who knows or has reason to suspect that hazing has occurred must immediately report it to the Head of School. In addition, under Massachusetts law, a person who is at the scene of hazing and knows that hazing has occurred is required to report to an appropriate law enforcement official as soon as practicable; the failure to make such a report is a crime punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.

The School will include this Anti-Hazing Policy in its Student Handbook or otherwise distribute the Policy annually to every student who is enrolled at the School. 

In addition, as required by Massachusetts law, the School will require every student to acknowledge in writing that student has received and will abide by this Policy and the Massachusetts Anti-Hazing Law.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Anti-Hazing Law

Chapter 269, Section 17: Hazing; organizing or participating; hazing defined

Whoever is a principal organizer or participant in the crime of hazing, as defined herein, shall be punished by a fine of not more than three thousand dollars or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than one year, or both such fine and imprisonment.

The term “hazing” as used in this section and in sections eighteen and nineteen, shall mean any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person. Such conduct shall include whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather, forced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance, or any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity which is likely to adversely affect the physical health or safety of any such student or other person, or which subjects such student or other person to extreme mental stress, including extended deprivation of sleep or rest or extended isolation.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section to the contrary, consent shall not be available as a defense to any prosecution under this action.

Chapter 269, Section 18: Failure to report hazing

Whoever knows that another person is the victim of hazing as defined in section seventeen and is at the scene of such crime shall, to the extent that such person can do so without danger or peril to himself or others, report such crime to an appropriate law enforcement official as soon as reasonably practicable. Whoever fails to report such crime shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.

Chapter 269, Section 19: Copy of Sections 17 to 19; issuance to student groups, teams and organizations; report

Each institution of secondary education and each public and private institution of post-secondary education shall issue to every student group, student team or student organization which is part of such institution or is recognized by the institution or permitted by the institution to use its name or facilities or is known by the institution to exist as an unaffiliated student group, student team or student organization, a copy of this section and sections seventeen and eighteen; provided, however, that an institution’s compliance with this section’s requirements that an institution issue copies of this section and sections seventeen and eighteen to unaffiliated student groups, teams or organizations shall not constitute evidence of the institution’s recognition or endorsement of said unaffiliated student groups, teams or organizations.

Each such group, team or organization shall distribute a copy of this section and sections seventeen and eighteen to each of its members, plebes, pledges or applicants for membership. It shall be the duty of each such group, team or organization, acting through its designated officer, to deliver annually, to the institution an attested acknowledgement stating that such group, team or organization has received a copy of this section and said sections seventeen and eighteen, that each of its members, plebes, pledges, or applicants has received a copy of sections seventeen and eighteen, and that such group, team or organization understands and agrees to comply with the provisions of this section and sections seventeen and eighteen.

Each institution of secondary education and each public or private institution of post-secondary education shall, at least annually, before or at the start of enrollment, deliver to each person who enrolls as a full time student in such institution a copy of this section and sections seventeen and eighteen.

Each institution of secondary education and each public or private institution of post-secondary education shall file, at least annually, a report with the board of higher education and in the case of secondary institutions, the board of education, certifying that such institution has complied with its responsibility to inform student groups, teams or organizations and to notify each full time student enrolled by it of the provisions of this section and sections seventeen and eighteen and also certifying that said institution has adopted a disciplinary policy with regard to the organizers and participants of hazing, and that such policy has been set forth with appropriate emphasis in the student handbook or similar means of communicating the institution’s policies to its students. The board of higher education and, in the case of secondary institutions, the board of education shall promulgate regulations governing the content and frequency of such reports, and shall forthwith report to the attorney general any such institution which fails to make such report.

I ___________________________________ have read the Anti-Hazing Policy, which includes

            (Students Name)

 policy statements of Willow Hill School, and I agree to support and accept the policies.

______________________________________        __________

Students Signature                                                      Date