Whether on a student visa or part of a study-abroad program, being an international student is a significant milestone in your life. Your experience strengthens your personality and sense of responsibility as you learn and socialize in a new country and culture. However, to successfully complete your degree, you must take your institution's policies seriously. Part of that means avoiding activities that affect your reputation and future, like hazing. Hazing is a big deal in the United States, and you could lose your degree if you partake in this activity.
If you are an international student accused of hazing, every minute counts when you have much to lose. You need the help of the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team, which has years of experience working with students accused of hazing nationwide. If you wait to take action, you risk your degree, reputation, education, and future. Call the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team at 888-535-3686 if you need help, or send a message through this form to discuss the next steps.
Hazing in Universities
Every university has a hazing policy to deter students from engaging in it and endangering the lives and mental health of fellow students. In fact, hazing is such an issue in the United States that it frequently receives news coverage due to the problems it creates for all students, organizations, and colleges involved. As an international student, you have twice as much to lose when you are accused of hazing or participating in hazing at your school or university. Besides the criminal aspect, you also face the consequences of your school, usually leading to suspension or expulsion for the accused.
What is Hazing?
Hazing is any degrading, harmful, or dangerous activity a group asks an aspiring member or recruit to perform to prove their “worth” or intentions. It is an initiation ritual that can have significant consequences for everyone involved. In college, sororities and fraternities engage in hazing behavior despite rules and policies that ban this practice. Other settings where hazing is common are in the military, companies, and even on sports teams.
Examples of Hazing Activities
No one action defines hazing, as it is considered a spectrum that ranges from low frequency, low-risk behaviors to violent and life-threatening actions that lead to a higher social standing.
- Some examples of hazing include:
- Forcing students not to sleep, eat, or drink for extended periods
- Social isolation and intimidation tactics
- Verbal abuse and threats
- Forcing students to consume drugs and alcohol
- Physical assault
- Abductions/kidnapping
- Forcing the student to wear humiliating attire
- Sexual assault
The above are a few examples of hazing, with varying degrees of severity and consequences. Although hazing is forbidden on most campuses, many fraternities, sororities, and sports teams continue to engage in these rituals, often forcing other students to partake in intimidation against others.
Why Hazing Is A Major Concern in Colleges and Universities
Colleges and universities work hard to prevent hazing for multiple reasons: to protect the safety of their students, manage their reputation, and avoid legal repercussions. Many hazing incidents become local or national scandals that the university works for years to recover from after being on the news. And since universities rely on funding and grants to continue operations, lousy publicity due to hazing incidents from their students causes setbacks that prevent them from receiving the money they need to continue operating.
The problem is so severe that some universities will not hesitate to shut down the operations of the sorority or fraternity completely. Others take a hard stance on the perpetrators only. Still, some punish all the group members, even if they indirectly participate in the actions or fail to report to a university authority. Despite these safeguards, hazing continues to be a problem that affects the reputation and mental health of all people involved, especially so when it comes to international students.
Participating in Hazing
If you're on this page, you most likely participated in a hazing ritual or were accused of doing so by a fellow student. Regardless of your status, hazing can get you into deep trouble with educational, reputational, and professional impacts that stretch far beyond your expectations. Your time in a new country and the following culture shock may be part of the issue. As a student used to a completely different social and educational system in your home country, you may not have known that what you were participating in was not okay.
You may have similar and socially accepted rituals in your country of origin, or you may not have heard of hazing entirely and engaged in it to “fit in” with your group. The pressure to conform and be part of a group in a foreign culture is a real issue, especially when you may have been intimidated by the members or worried about the consequences of not doing what they ask. Sorority and fraternity culture can, at times, be toxic, and intimidation is one method used to keep members, especially international students, silent about the activities taking place. That's where the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team can help. By identifying what happened and the factors that played a role in the accusations against you, the team can reduce the likelihood of losing your degree and your placement at college.
What You Stand to Lose
It's no secret that being accused or found guilty of hazing gets you into issues that, as an international student, you may not be able to escape. The repercussions of this accusation have legal, educational, social, and reputational implications, not including the possible mental health effects.
Your Degree
Getting suspended or expelled from college is the likely sanction you will receive from a panel when found guilty of hazing. These sanctions stay on your permanent record and can become issues when you return to your home country. A hazing accusation can destroy your chance of graduating since you only have one opportunity to remain and finish your degree.
Your Visa and Residency Status
If you are on an F-1 visa, getting expelled from your program or university because of hazing has catastrophic consequences on your residency, visa, and future travel prospects. According to the official US Immigration and Customs Enforcement website, One of the reasons why your visa may be terminated is if “the student was expelled from his or her program of study.” As for suspension, the site maintains that they will terminate a visa if “the student is suspended from school and can no longer maintain a full course of study.”
Your Reputation
Getting suspended or expelled for hazing may lead to complications in maintaining your reputation. Whether within your social or family circle or in a professional setting, having an expulsion or suspension on your record may lead to uncomfortable questions and situations that you may not recover from later. Many cultures emphasize personal responsibility and educational success as a passage of rite into adulthood. If you are back with no degree, it may lead to prevalent issues in the future that can affect your reputation permanently.
Your Money
Being an international student comes with many expenses, regardless of the program. While studying abroad, you must take care of airfare, tuition, housing, rent, bills, and other financial responsibilities. If you finish your degree, it is worth it in the end. However, after you get expelled, all the money spent on your educational and living expenses will go to waste.
Your Morale
Losing out on such an opportunity also comes with its psychological impacts. You may be the first person in your family to travel and study abroad. Or this may have been a dream you had since you were young. When you get expelled and your educational path is at stake, your morale takes a direct hit and may cause issues in other parts of your life. In some cases, you may abandon the thought of pursuing a degree in the US altogether and start from square one.
Your Rights
As of 2024, 44 states have imposed hazing laws. If you are accused of hazing, you will likely face criminal charges and due process at university. Although you may assume that hiring a criminal attorney solves both of these issues, that is not usually the case. The Lento Law Firm Education Law Team has extensive experience working with international students facing hazing accusations, increasing your odds of success due to their knowledge about university and school adjudication processes.
Scholarship Opportunities
Getting suspended or expelled from your program as an international student may prevent you from receiving future scholarship opportunities. Universities keep records of students, and that includes their standing. If you were expelled from your program due to hazing, you would lose scholarship opportunities despite having good grades.
How Schools Handle Hazing Allegations
Every university has different criteria when it comes to investigating and adjudicating cases where hazing is involved. Usually, students are encouraged to report hazing activities to a designated authority. They also have a duty to report laws and non-retaliation laws to ensure that those making the reports are safe. This person or group is responsible for investigating the allegations to determine if they hold weight and to start the adjudication process if they suspect wrongdoing. The accused group or individuals stand before a panel that examines the evidence and listens to the statements made by all parties involved. Depending on the evidence, the panel decides on the case's outcome and reports it to the authorities, depending on the state laws.
What To Do When Facing Hazing Allegations
You will be notified if your school is initiating an investigation to determine whether you participated in hazing. Every step you take once you receive word is detrimental to your success and your standing as a student.
- Do not panic and contact other group members who may have been involved.
- Lock down your social media profiles if they are public
- Do not discuss the allegations with any student or person
- Contact the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team before responding to the claims or taking questions
- Do not try to contact the person or parties who made the accusations
- Do not react in anger or threaten any person involved in the case, as it may lead to additional criminal charges
During this timeframe, avoid any behavior that can make the situation worse. Once you speak to the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team, you will better understand how to proceed and boost your morale when all seems lost.
Contacting the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team
Being an international student is an experience you will never forget. But when your degree is on the line and your reputation is at stake, you need the help of the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team. The Lento Law Firm Education Law Team has years of experience helping international students avoid catastrophic outcomes when they face expulsion accusations in their schools. With their compassion and commitment to justice, the team can guide you through arguably one of the most stressful issues you may encounter as an international student.
The Lento Law Firm Education Law Team handles your case tactfully and carefully. Using their knowledge and a keen eye for detail, they are your shoulder to rely on when you don't have anywhere to turn. By working with the team, you can reduce the likelihood of receiving a sanction that negatively affects multiple aspects of your life. Don't wait until it's too late to take charge of your situation. You worked hard to get where you are; due to these allegations, everything you planned for may come crashing down. If you or an international student you love faces accusations of hazing, don't wait until you can no longer make a difference. Call the Lento Law Firm Education Law Firm at 888-535-3686 for more information, or contact them online today.
