Hazing is a common issue across Illinois college and university campuses. According to the Hazing Prevention Network, approximately 55% of American college students who participate in fraternities or other such student clubs and organizations will experience some form of hazing.
Universities strive to discourage hazing for many reasons. A school’s primary concern may be student safety. However, college administrators must also consider how hazing incidents can affect enrollment. A university’s reputation may suffer if it becomes known as a place where hazing is tolerated.
These are just two reasons Illinois universities often take a strict approach to weeding out hazing. That said, it’s vital to remember that school administrators can make mistakes when investigating hazing incidents and punishing the alleged participants.
Do you attend a college or university in Illinois? Are you facing potential disciplinary action due to accusations of hazing?
You need a proper defense if so. At the LLF National Law Firm, our Student Defense Team is ready to ensure your rights are protected throughout an investigation. If you’ve been accused of hazing in Illinois, be proactive about your future and get ahead of this issue by submitting your information through our online form or calling us at 888-535-3686 to discuss your case.
What Qualifies as Hazing in Illinois?
Illinois is one of several states that have a law that specifically defines hazing. Per Illinois law, someone engages in hazing when they knowingly require a student or other person affiliated with a school or university in the state to perform specific acts for the purposes of being inducted into a group (like a fraternity) if the act they require someone to perform:
- hasn’t been sanctioned by the educational institution, and
- results in bodily harm to anyone.
Be aware that the legal definition of hazing in Illinois applies primarily to criminal cases. Although universities may reference the law when establishing their own hazing policies, a school’s definition of hazing may differ somewhat from the legal definition.
Even if you avoid criminal charges, getting in trouble with your university for alleged hazing can have significant implications for your future. It’s possible such a case could also lead to criminal charges later.
Take these matters as seriously as you would if you’d been arrested. However, keep in mind that a typical criminal defense lawyer is not primarily qualified to handle a case involving potential disciplinary action at the university level. For assistance with such a case, you need representation from attorneys with experience offering student defense services.
That’s exactly what you’ll find at the LLF National Law Firm. Our Student Defense Team is prepared to help you navigate the circumstances when you’re facing potential disciplinary action due to accusations of hazing.
Common Examples of Hazing
Because the definition of hazing can vary not only from one state to another but also from one university to another within a given state, acts that qualify as hazing in one setting may not qualify as hazing in another. Generally, though, the following are common examples of hazing on and near college campuses:
- Forcing students to consume excessive quantities of alcohol
- Forcing students to use other dangerous drugs
- Striking, paddling, or otherwise physically harming students
- Forcing students to maintain difficult or painful physical postures for extended periods of time
- Forcing students to participate in degrading and/or potentially harmful physical acts
- Depriving students of sleep
- Sexually harassing students
- Not allowing new members of an organization to maintain a reasonable level of hygiene or cleanliness.
Hazing can also be subtle. While Illinois law requires an act to cause bodily harm for it to qualify as hazing, a university’s policies may also classify any of the following as hazing:
- Verbal abuse
- Deception
- Emotional or mental abuse
- Social isolation
- Forcing new members of an organization to complete difficult tasks or chores other members might not have to complete
Because hazing can be subtle, even those participating in it might not always realize when certain acts meet the definition of hazing. If you’re surprised by a formal hazing accusation, don’t try to explain to school administrators that the situation is a misunderstanding. Contact our Student Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm to ensure professionals are handling your case.
Potential Consequences of Hazing Accusations at an Illinois University
The specific penalties you may face if you’ve been accused of hazing can depend on many factors. They may include:
- Any previous discipline issues or trouble
- The severity of the injuries sustained by victims
- The degree to which you directly participated in hazing
One of the most significant factors influencing your case will be the policies of the university you attend. Depending on a school’s approach to hazing cases, you may face such penalties as:
- Probation
- Reprimand
- Prohibition from living on campus
- Loss of financial aid
- Loss of scholarships
- Loss of funding for your organization
- Loss of official school recognition for your organization
- Suspension
- Expulsion
You must also consider how these direct consequences can have indirect effects that follow you for years. For example, perhaps you’re expelled from school after being investigated for participating in hazing.
Finding another school to accept you after being expelled from one school for hazing can be extremely difficult. It may be next to impossible to finish your degree after an expulsion.
Even if you do manage to finish your degree somewhere else, an expulsion or suspension will result in a gap in your transcript. An employer may see this gap, asking you to explain it.
This is just one way future employers may even learn about the incident. A potential employer may not be inclined to hire someone who’s been in serious trouble for hazing before.
You shouldn’t feel scared when considering the penalties you may face after being accused of hazing at your college. Instead, you should feel motivated to protect yourself. Although a lawyer can’t promise a specific outcome to your case, attorneys with the LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team are prepared to help you guard against consequences that could derail your academic and professional life.
What Not to Do When You’re Accused of Hazing in Illinois
The fact that you’re not facing criminal charges doesn’t mean you should treat university-hazing-level accusations any less seriously than you would treat an arrest.
Making certain common errors after an arrest could negatively impact someone’s case. Avoiding these errors after being accused of participating in hazing at your Illinois college is also critical. After being formally accused of hazing, you should NOT:
- Participate in any interviews or answer any questions without speaking with a lawyer first
- Post about the case on social media or discuss it with anyone other than a legal professional
- Admit to any wrongdoing, even if you believe “cooperating” will help you avoid more significant penalties
Get in touch with a lawyer as soon as possible after your college informs you of formal allegations. Our attorneys with the LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team will help you guard against saying or doing anything that could jeopardize your future.
How University-Level Hazing Cases Differ from Criminal Hazing Cases in Illinois
Naturally, the penalties you may face if you’ve been charged with the crime of hazing will differ from the penalties a university may consider when disciplining you for hazing. However, that’s not the only way university-level hazing cases in Illinois may differ from criminal cases.
Unfortunately, some of the potential differences between criminal cases and university-level cases can disadvantage you. For example, if you’ve been charged with the crime of hazing, your case must follow the rules of due process.
That means a judge can’t just decide to penalize you over accusations. The prosecution must prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that you engaged in hazing. Although you may enter a plea deal before your case ever goes before a jury, technically, you always have the right to a trial by a jury of your peers.
That’s not necessarily the case if you’re facing disciplinary action at the school level. In these circumstances, the school might not have to allow for due process.
The burden of proof in these cases is typically lower than it is in criminal cases. In other words, weak evidence that wouldn’t secure a conviction in a trial might nevertheless be considered strong enough for a university to take disciplinary action against you. In addition, you may not have the right to defend yourself in front of a jury when you’ve been accused of violating a school’s hazing rules.
Such points once again emphasize the value of working with legal professionals who understand how universities in Illinois operate. Our Student Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm can ensure a university doesn’t violate your rights while investigating you for hazing allegations.
Potential Defenses When You’ve Been Accused of Hazing at an Illinois University
Our Student Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm prioritizes tailoring our services to the specific needs of our clients. If you’ve been accused of hazing, we’ll take the time to understand the details of your case, crafting a defense strategy accordingly.
The following are merely some examples of strategies legal professionals may employ when defending someone in your position. None of these are necessarily the exact strategies your lawyers will use. Instead, they should simply give you a sense of potential defense options:
- You have an alibi: False accusations can and do occur for a variety of reasons. It’s possible you have an alibi indicating you didn’t participate in hazing despite being accused of doing so. If you have a valid alibi, lawyers can help you gather and present evidence proving it.
- You were merely a witness: Events and activities where hazing may occur can be heavily attended. The fact that you were present during a hazing incident doesn’t mean you participated, nor does it necessarily mean you passively allowed hazing to occur. It may be possible to show you were just one of several witnesses.
- The act doesn’t qualify as hazing: Again, a university’s definition of hazing might expand on the definition of hazing under Illinois law. Nevertheless, a university must show an act meets its definition of hazing to justify taking action against those accused of such acts. A potential defense may involve showing that an act doesn’t meet the criteria to qualify as hazing under either a university’s policies or Illinois statutes.
- The act served a legitimate purpose: The line between what does and doesn’t qualify as hazing isn’t always clear. For example, to join a sports team or student organization, someone might have to complete acts of physical endurance. From an outside perspective, this can sometimes look like hazing. However, you might be able to argue that an alleged hazing incident actually served a legitimate purpose, such as evaluating the physical fitness of new sports team members.
Once more, this isn’t a complete list. The LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team will account for the specifics of your case and implement a defense strategy designed for your circumstances.
We Defend Students Across Illinois
Attorneys with the LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team are available to handle hazing cases anywhere in Illinois. Examples of universities whose students we may serve include:
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Champaign)
- The University of Chicago (Chicago)
- Northwestern University (Evanston)
- Wheaton College (Wheaton)
- Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington)
- Augustana College (Rock Island)
- Bradley University (Peoria)
Don’t worry if your university isn’t on that list. If you attend college anywhere in Illinois and you’ve been accused of hazing, the LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team is available to help.
How Lawyers Can Help When You’ve Been Accused of University Hazing in Illinois
Hiring a lawyer is very wise when you’re facing consequences ranging from probation to expulsion due to accusations of hazing. Specific ways attorneys may help in these circumstances include (but aren’t limited to):
- Gathering evidence to support your alibi
- Identifying holes or weaknesses in the case against you
- Speaking on your behalf during interviews, hearings, etc.
- Demonstrating why a school should be lenient when penalizing you
- If necessary, help negotiate a deal with a school to avoid more significant consequences
- Guiding you through the investigation process
- Helping you better understand any requirements of you after an investigation concludes
Remember, at the LLF National Law Firm, our Student Defense Team doesn’t apply a “one size fits all” mentality to cases like yours. The ways in which we serve you will depend on the details of your case. Get started today by submitting your information online or calling us at 888-535-3686 to learn more about what we can do for you.