If you pay attention to the news at all, you know that hazing allegations are on the rise at colleges and universities across the country. This trend speaks less to a hazing problem and more to the way schools react to public and political pressure.

What exactly is behind this rise, and what can you do to protect yourself from getting caught up in it? We'll get to that.

First, though, if you've been charged with hazing, or you think charges might be imminent, the Lento Law Firm can help. Our Student Defense Team was founded to protect your rights, and we're always on your side. We know the law; we know your school's policy, and we're ready to use both to get you the justice you deserve. To find out more, call 888-535-3686 or use our online form to tell us about your situation.

Why Now?

Ask university administrators why there has been a rash of hazing allegations in the past few years, and they'll likely tell you they're working harder than ever to “protect” their students from harm. Maybe. That certainly makes for a good sound bite.

The more likely reason, though, is that hazing has become a popular source of headlines for local, state, and national media outlets. One rare incident becomes a referendum on college student behavior, and a handful of journalists realize they can make a nice living by continually reporting on this or that school's hazing statistics.

This isn't to say that hazing isn't sometimes dangerous. When politicians and the general public put pressure on schools, though, schools inevitably overreact. They create draconian policies, conduct overly-zealous investigations, and ultimately, innocent students wind up accused, and those students who have made mistakes wind up with penalties that far exceed those mistakes.

Your Rights

There's little you can do to push back against this national overreaction. The fact is that if you're a member of a campus organization—and most students are—you're vulnerable to hazing charges.

That doesn't mean you must simply accept them or some sanction your university wants to impose on you. Almost every school has some policy guaranteeing your due process rights. You have a right, for instance, to a presumption of innocence; the university must be able to substantiate any charges with concrete evidence, and you should have a chance to challenge that evidence at a hearing.

You want to make the most of these rights, though. That means you never want to mount a defense on your own. These charges are too complex. Typically, cases involve multiple complainants, respondents, and witnesses. You may very well be facing charges in addition to hazing, like Title IX sexual misconduct, disorderly conduct, or underage drinking. Just separating out who did what can be an absolute nightmare.

You need someone in your corner to untangle the mess. Someone to protect your rights. You need someone from the Lento Law Firm.

Trust the Lento Law Firm

Your university may or may not allow you to bring an attorney with you to investigative meetings and hearings. They absolutely cannot bar you from consulting with an attorney, though.

Your Lento Law Firm attorney can help you with your entire case, from collecting evidence to suggesting questions for witnesses. More importantly, they keep an eye on everything that unfolds so that your school isn't allowed to run roughshod over you just because it's feeling a little pressure from the public.

To find out more about just what we can do, call 888-535-3686 today or use the online form to tell us more about your case.