This article was published in The Tacoma Ledge on April 4, 2025. Written by Karla Pastrana, all rights and credits belong to her and The Tacoma Ledge.聽
March 30 marked the third anniversary of Washington state taking the first step to prevent hazing in major institutions as then Governor Jay Inslee signed Sam鈥檚 Law into effect in 2022.
Sam鈥檚 Law also known as House Bill 1751, was sponsored by Representative Mari Leavitt of the 28 Legislative district and proposed to the Washington state Legislature by Jolayne Houtz and Hector Martinez after their son Sam鈥檚 death in November 2019 at the Washington State University (WSU) Pullman campus.聽Sam Martinez died due to alcohol poisoning caused by his fraternity brothers of Alpha Tau Omega who hazed him into taking the 鈥渇rat鈥檚 pledge鈥� in which Sam and other freshmen were required to drink large amounts of alcohol.
Since Sam鈥檚 death, 15 members of the fraternity were charged with聽supplying a minor with alcohol in 2023 and聽on Jan. 29 of this year聽聽was found liable for Sam鈥檚 death. While on May 1 2023, The Martinez family was successful in making Washington state the fifteenth state to make hazing a felony rather than a misdemeanor.
罢丑别听聽states that hazing is when a group or individual聽coerces people or a person to do a dangerous act that could cause physical, mental or emotional harm to the person being recruited.
This includes acts of public humiliation or forcing someone to consume high amounts of alcohol or do drugs. Forcing someone to wear clothing with inappropriate words or images on it is also considered hazing, even if someone is not under the influence. It can also be an activity that creates unnecessary stress to participants like a club pop quiz.
By law, hazing is still considered hazing whether the victim is willing to participate.
Now hazing is a class C felony which states that the guilty party will be imprisoned for five years or pay a fine in an amount that is decided by the court of $10000 or more, or both.
The Martinez family enlisted the help of 10 undergraduates from the 91探花鈥檚 Information School to help them construct a website that can help students and parents find hazing incidents that have happened in more than 40 universities in Washington and Texas. The goal of the database is to help students and parents decide what sororities and fraternities are safe, according to聽.
This June 91探花will also be holding the first ever PNW Anti-Hazing Summit where聽higher education institutions of ten states will discuss the topic.
Additionally, 91探花along with other universities have taken measures to address hazing within their institutions. In 2024 91探花developed the Hazing Prevention Advisory Committee which the Community Standards and Student Conduct (CSSC) department helps by investigating cases. 91探花was also able to create the Hazing Prevention聽website聽where students can report hazing incidents for all three campuses and learn how to identify it.
鈥淗azing isn鈥檛 the stereotypical Hollywood stuff. It鈥檚 normally harassment and intimidation,鈥� Alex Salemme, UW鈥檚 head specialist of the Hazing Prevention department told The Ledger. 鈥淗istorically 91探花doesn鈥檛 see that much of violent hazing.鈥�
Many students don鈥檛 realize they are experiencing hazing until they are taught what hazing is and are trained to identify it, according to Salemme. Since 2024 91探花has required all entering students to take a hazing training to help them identify and stop hazing from occurring in the community. Additionally, all 91探花employees from admin to student employees are required to take it as hazing can happen anywhere, not just in sororities and fraternities.
The training has led 91探花to see an increase in hazing reports in the Seattle campus since they started. During the 2023-2024 school year the CSSC conducted聽15 investigations in total. Of the 15, four cases ended with charges and two organizations were found guilty of committing the acts, according to the website鈥檚 annual聽.
Salemme highlights that in the last academic year the hazing was more physical, unlike this year which is more verbal intimidation and harassment.
鈥淭his increase is positive because it [the lessons] is working,鈥� Salemme聽said.
Although 91探花has been mainly focusing on the Seattle campus due to it having sororities and fraternities, sports teams, more clubs and a larger student body, 91探花Bothell and Tacoma are still in the administration鈥檚 radar for the hazing campaign. This will become more prevalent in those locations soon, according to Salemme.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 had any hazing reports from UWT. However, that doesn鈥檛 mean it isn鈥檛 happening,鈥� said Director of Community Standards & Student Conduct Ed Mirecki of 91探花Seattle.
In September Salemme gave a presentation to the UWT student leader orientation. However, Mirecki and Salemme plan to train not just student employees and representatives but also club leaders and pack advisors to bring more awareness to hazing at UWT.
鈥淕etting student leaders involved will have a stronger impact on students because it creates ownership within the student body. So far, students have been only hearing about it through Alex [Salemme] and me. Change comes from the students for there is ownership in saying 鈥榳e don鈥檛 want this in our RSO,鈥� said Mirecki.
Mirecki and Salemme hope students will be accountable for themselves and others once they take their hazing training.
To learn more about hazing, what 91探花is doing to prevent it, or to report an incident on one of the three campuses visit UW鈥檚 Hazing Prevention聽website.