Updated Anti-hazing Legislation Introduced in Ohio Senate

A new piece of legislation was introduced Wednesday in the Ohio Senate that will renew and update the current anti-hazing bill.

Senate Bill 126, also called Collin’s Law after the 2018 death of Ohio University student Collin Wiant in a hazing incident, will “increase legal penalties for hazing, education for college students about hazing and transparency at the university level,” according to the Columbus Dispatch.

The current legislation, House Bill 310, is a comprehensive anti-hazing bill that includes both college-level hazing and K-12 bullying guidelines. The newly introduced bill focuses only on the hazing section.

Pressure to update the legislation came days after another student, Stone Foltz, died of an alleged hazing incident at Bowling Green State University. Supporters of the anti-hazing legislation, including the parents of Collin Wiant, encourage the passing of the new bill even more after the death of another student.

“This bill is about changing a culture where hazing is accepted and expected,” Kathleen Wiant, mother of Collin Wiant, said in an article from the Columbus Dispatch.

Wiant worked closely in the construction of both bills to tighten up language and worked with universities to have comprehensive hazing education programs.

Hazing affects many more lives than reported. Students, families and government officials are encouraged to take these situations seriously.


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