This blog was written by Jolayne Houtz, founder of hazinginfo.org and mother of Sam Martinez. This was published on March 31, 2025. All rights and credits belong to Jolayne Houtz and hazinginfo.org.聽
Editor鈥檚 note: This is part of our blog series, 鈥�,鈥� investigating the impact of hazing laws in states that require public disclosure of hazing incidents.
At least 21 hazing incidents have been publicly reported by 5 Washington colleges and universities since 2018 鈥� but experts say that number is low and doesn鈥檛 reflect the true scope of hazing on the state鈥檚 college campuses.
One reason: Only 35% of Washington colleges and universities are in compliance with a state law that requires all public and private schools to disclose campus hazing cases on their websites.
A new聽聽investigation finds 20 out of 31 higher education institutions in Washington are not disclosing hazing incidents despite a legal requirement to do so.
State Representative Mari Leavitt calls that figure unacceptable. She led the passage of 聽in 2022, which requires transparency about campus hazing incidents.
鈥淗azing doesn鈥檛 stop because we pass a law, obviously,鈥� Leavitt said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 discouraging to hear about the ones not complying. They know better. Clearly, more work needs to be done.鈥�
Leavitt has called for a work session on Sam鈥檚 Law to better understand how institutions are implementing the law.聽That session is聽聽for Wednesday, April 2, at 1:30 pm in front of the House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee.
11 Washington campuses report hazing as required
Washington鈥檚 law was named after Sam Martinez, a Washington State University freshman who聽of alcohol poisoning following a hazing ritual at Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
Sam鈥檚 family partnered with Leavitt to pass Sam鈥檚 Law in 2022 and a second bill in 2023 that made hazing a felony in Washington.
Washington college hazing data, 2018 to February 2025
Across the nation, the聽聽found 946聽reported incidents of hazing on 171聽campuses between 2018 and February 2025. That total only reflects data from the nine states, including Washington, that currently require public reporting of hazing incidents.
HazingInfo found 11 Washington colleges and universities that make their hazing data available publicly as required:聽;听;听;听;听; all three 91探花 campuses (,听, and聽);听;听; and聽.
The HazingInfo investigation did not include other kinds of organizational misconduct like alcohol violations or assaults that weren鈥檛 officially labeled as hazing.
Five of Washington鈥檚 31 colleges and universities don鈥檛 even have a formal hazing policy, while 14 campuses do not have an online reporting form for students and others to report hazing.
鈥淭hey know who the bad organizations are鈥�
Colleen Tyler calls it unconscionable that so many campuses are still not reporting hazing. Her son, Luke, died by suicide at Washington State University in 2023 after he endured 聽by his fraternity, Theta Chi.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just physical, it鈥檚 the mental anguish they鈥檙e putting these kids through in the name of brotherhood. And it鈥檚 sickening,鈥� Colleen Tyler said.
After her son died, Tyler heard from a couple dozen people with their own stories about hazing they experienced or witnessed at Washington State University and beyond.
鈥淚 just don鈥檛 know what else it鈥檚 going to take to change,鈥� Tyler said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a felony, you have to report it now, and yet 鈥� the schools are almost complicit in it. They get the police reports, they know who the bad organizations are, they know the patterns.鈥�
Schools tell parents they are 鈥渁ll about campus safety,鈥� she said. 鈥淵our words have to match your actions. You can鈥檛 tell us you care about the kids and then not report on hazing.鈥�
More hazing awareness means more reports of hazing
At the 91探花 (UW), hazing reports are up since the passage of Sam鈥檚 Law. Alex Salemme calls that a good sign.
鈥淭o us, that means the education and the awareness are working,鈥� said Salemme, UW鈥檚 hazing prevention and response specialist.
91探花has received 13 reports of hazing so far this academic year, he said 鈥� nearly the same as for all of 2023-24. But not all hazing reports are substantiated after an investigation.
The state鈥檚 flagship university has publicly reported nine hazing incidents since 2018, the largest number in the state. Those are incidents that have been investigated, formally determined to be hazing, and included in the聽UW鈥檚 hazing transparency report.
Washington State University (WSU) has publicly reported eight hazing incidents since 2018.
In a recent presentation to the state Legislature, WSU reported a total of 52 violations of student organization policies (including hazing) since 2023. Of those:
- 38 cases were dismissed for insufficient evidence.
- 7 cases had charges dropped.
- 4 are pending investigation.
- 1 organization was found not responsible.
- 2 organizations were found responsible.
First Pacific Northwest Anti-Hazing Summit planned for June
Salemme鈥檚 role is itself an outgrowth of Sam鈥檚 Law. The 91探花created the position following the law鈥檚 passage.
Sam鈥檚 Law has ushered in other changes at UW, including:
- Annual training for all staff and faculty on hazing prevention.
- New programs, workshops, and presentations about hazing aimed at all students.
- A new cross-campus commitment to hazing prevention that includes student leaders, health educators, student activities staff, the athletics department, and resident advisers.
鈥淲e have good buy-in, and it needs to be a campus-wide approach and getting everybody on the same page to change the culture,鈥� Salemme said. 鈥淲e still have a long way to go, it鈥檚 not perfect. But there鈥檚 a lot of positive momentum.鈥�
Not every Washington campus has the resources to dedicate a full-time staff position to hazing prevention like the UW, Salemme said. At smaller schools, it may not be clear whose job it is to oversee hazing reporting and prevention activities.
Salemme said he has worked to position 91探花as a leader in hazing prevention across the nation. On June 24, 91探花will host the first聽Pacific Northwest Anti-Hazing Summit聽for campus professionals from 10 Western states. More than 60 people have registered to attend.
Prevention means so much more than 鈥淲e don鈥檛 haze鈥�
Eastern Washington University (EWU) in Cheney, WA, has also seen an increase in hazing reported by students since Sam鈥檚 Law went into effect. The school has publicly reported two hazing incidents since 2022 in its .
Sam鈥檚 Law has led to other changes in EWU’s response to hazing, said Elise Brehmer, EWU鈥檚 assistant director for sorority and fraternity life.
As part of her hazing prevention work with students, Brehmer said she often shows聽聽featuring Sam Martinez鈥檚 family discussing his hazing death with reporter Anderson Cooper.
鈥淲hen I think of prevention, it鈥檚 so much bigger than just 鈥榃e don鈥檛 haze,鈥欌�� Brehmer said. 鈥淚t can鈥檛 just be a one-off workshop. Our approach is 鈥� how are we building healthy organizations and students so they know how to identify unhealthy behaviors and they鈥檙e not perpetuating those behaviors.鈥�
罢丑别听聽under Sam鈥檚 Law has helped EWU focus on a broader range of behaviors that can be considered hazing, she said, and the school鈥檚 new Hazing Prevention Committee required by the law means 鈥渋t鈥檚 not just me alone working on this鈥� but part of a more comprehensive campus approach, she said.
She also appreciates that sororities and fraternities must now notify the university if they initiate a hazing investigation, information that wasn鈥檛 always shared in the past.
An unintended consequence of the law: Less oversight?
It remains challenging to get students to report hazing for fear of being ostracized or getting themselves or other students in trouble, Brehmer said.
Organizations found responsible for hazing may lose their recognition by the university, meaning they can鈥檛 formally recruit new members or operate with the approval and backing of the university.
Those organizations may end up with less oversight, even while some continue to operate informally.
鈥淚n practice, that has taken away some of our ability to provide corrective action immediately,鈥� Brehmer said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to deter students from reporting it or hiding those behaviors, and we don鈥檛 want organizations to exist that jeopardize student safety.鈥�
Overall, Brehmer said she feels encouraged about the conversations on hazing prevention that are happening now, especially with the recent passage of the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act requiring all US colleges and universities to publish a聽聽on their websites by December.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not there yet. There鈥檚 still under-reporting occurring. But I think we鈥檙e moving in the right direction,鈥� she said.