Hazing activities of any type are inconsistent with and disruptive to the educational process, and prohibited at any time in school facilities, on school property, and/or off school property if the misconduct is connected to activities or incidents that have occurred on school property. No administrator, faculty member, or other Board employee shall encourage, permit, authorize, condone, or tolerate any hazing activities. No student shall plan, encourage, or engage in any hazing.

Hazing is defined as performing any act or coercing another, including the victim, to perform any act of initiation into any class, team, or organization that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm. Permission, consent, or assumption of risk by an individual subjected to hazing shall not lessen the prohibitions contained in this policy.

Administrators and staff members of the Council shall be alerted to possible situations, circumstances, or events that might include hazing. If hazing or planned hazing is discovered, the students involved shall be informed by the discoverer of the prohibitions contained in this policy and shall be ordered to end all hazing activities or planned activities immediately. All hazing incidents shall be reported immediately to the Executive Director. Students, administrators, and staff members who fail to abide by this policy may be subject to disciplinary action and may be held personally liable for civil and criminal penalties in accordance with law.

The Executive Director shall distribute this policy to all students and Council employees. It shall also be the subject of discussion at employee staff meetings or in-service programs.

Administrators, staff members, and volunteers shall not intentionally remain ignorant of hazing or potential hazing activities.

R.C. 2307.44, 2903.31, 3313.661

Revised 2/27/06