Hazing often occurs at Iowa colleges and universities for the purpose of initiating new members into fraternities, sororities, and other such student organizations. Surveys of college students provide the following illuminating statistics on the prevalence of hazing at US schools and colleges:

• Hazing doesn't just happen in college. Every year, approximately 1.5 million American high school students will experience some form of hazing. In fact, nearly half of all new college students enter their universities having already experienced hazing in some capacity.
• About 74% of student-athletes at colleges and universities in the US will experience hazing during their student years.
• Approximately 55% of American college students who participate in sororities, fraternities, and other such student organizations will experience hazing.

Some hazing incidents result in serious harm. Iowa colleges may thus take hazing accusations quite seriously. Colleges harshly penalize those accused of hazing to:

• Protect current students by discouraging future acts of hazing
• Demonstrate to prospective students (and their parents) that this is a university whose officials prioritize student safety

That's all well and good. However, it's not appropriate to violate the rights of students accused of hazing during an investigation.

Have you been accused of hazing at an Iowa college or university? If so, taking proactive steps to protect your future right now is essential.

We at the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help. Our experienced attorneys thoroughly understand the unique ways college investigations into alleged hazing incidents can differ from criminal cases. To learn more about what we can do for you, submit your information through our online contact form or call us at 888-535-3686 today.

What Qualifies as Hazing in Iowa?

Iowa's anti-hazing law defines hazing as “intentionally or recklessly” engaging “in any act or acts involving forced activity which endanger the physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation or admission into, or affiliation with, any organization operating in connection with a school, college, or university.”

The law provides the following examples of hazing. The statute makes it clear these are merely examples, and the following isn't an exhaustive list:

• Whipping
• Forced confinement
• Any other activity that can endanger a student's physical health

Be aware that colleges and universities in Iowa can establish their own anti-hazing policies. Often, theirs may be stricter than the law.

For example, Iowa's anti-hazing law only addresses activities with the potential to cause physical harm. However, some forms of hazing may exclusively cause mental or emotional harm. A university's anti-hazing policies may be written accordingly.

This highlights one of many reasons it's important to choose attorneys with relevant experience when you're facing accusations of hazing at an Iowa college. The way these cases proceed often differs from criminal hazing investigations in many ways. At the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team, we understand these differences, leveraging our experience to provide you with a quality defense.

Common Forms of Hazing at Iowa Colleges and Universities

Surveys of college students indicate these are the most common forms of hazing in the US:

• Drinking games
• Singing or chanting in public settings that aren't sports games, meets, or similar events where these behaviors may be expected
• Being required to consume large quantities of alcohol to the point of becoming sick or passing out
• Being required to consume large quantities of non-alcoholic beverages
• Being woken up in the middle of sleep by other members of a student organization
• Being verbally berated by other members of a student organization

Those are just a few examples. Keep in mind that it's not always clear whether a behavior or action qualifies as hazing. This is a factor we at the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team may consider when working on your defense strategy.

Potential Consequences If You've Been Accused of Hazing at an Iowa University

University officials often have significant leeway in regard to penalizing students who've been found responsible for hazing. Potential consequences an individual student may face include (but aren't necessarily limited to):

• Probation
• Suspension
• Expulsion
• Loss of scholarships
• Loss of privilege to live on campus

A student organization responsible for a hazing incident may also face consequences, like loss of the privilege to operate on campus. Depending on the severity of the incident, a university may even cut all ties with a student organization.

Don't underestimate the way the penalties of hazing accusations could follow a student throughout life. For example, perhaps a student found responsible for hazing is expelled. The following are just some of the long-term consequences they may now experience:

• Inability to complete their degree at the university of their choice
• Difficulty gaining acceptance into another university
• Difficulty securing employment in the future, as potential employers might ask them to explain a gap in their education

The point of all this isn't to frighten you. However, if you've been accused of hazing at an Iowa college, you should take the matter as seriously as you would a criminal case.

Your future is on the line. Our Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm can protect it.

How an Iowa University May Ignore Due Process Rules During a Hazing Investigation

There are many reasons why it's important to have a proper defense when facing hazing accusations at an Iowa university. One is the fact that university and college officials investigating these types of cases might not always abide by the rules of due process the same way prosecutors, judges, and police might in criminal cases.

Examples of ways a university might ignore the rules of due process in these circumstances include:

• Not notifying a student of the accusations against them until it's too late for them to put together a defense
• Not informing a student of their rights, such as the right to have attorneys present during meetings, hearings, interviews, etc.
• Not meeting the same burden of proof that they would need to meet to determine guilt in a criminal case

A frightened college student is unlikely to know when their rights are being violated. Even if they do know investigators aren't abiding by due process rules, they may feel too intimidated to speak out.

That's not something you need to worry about when you hire the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team. Our attorneys will vigilantly monitor the investigation to ensure no violations of your rights are allowed to go unchecked.

What Not to Do When Someone Accuses You of Hazing at an Iowa College

It's easy to make mistakes that could jeopardize your case's outcome when facing hazing accusations at an Iowa college. If you've never been in this type of situation before, you won't know the best way to proceed. You might thus take steps that could end up harming your case in the long run.

Examples of what NOT to do when you've been accused of hazing at an Iowa university include:

• Attempting to defend yourself
• Participating in interviews or hearings without the Presence of attorneys
• Talking about the case socially
• Talking about the case with others who may have been accused
• Confronting your accuser
• Posting about the case on social media

Most importantly, don't ignore the matter upon learning someone has accused you of hazing. It might be easier right now to pretend this is a situation that will resolve itself, but failing to take action now could derail your academic career.

That doesn't need to happen. Our Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm is available to ensure someone is prioritizing your rights throughout a hazing investigation.

Our lawyers can also be a source of useful information at this time. We'll gladly answer your questions, helping you better understand what you should and shouldn't do as a case proceeds.

We Defend Students Accused of Hazing Throughout Iowa

The following are just some of the major Iowa colleges and universities whose students we defend:

• University of Iowa (Iowa City)
• Drake University (Des Moines)
• Grinnell College (Grinnell)
• Iowa State University (Ames)
• Coe College (Cedar Rapids)
• Luther College (Decorah)
• University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls)
• Cornell College (Mount Vernon)
• Clarke University (Dubuque)

Those are just examples. No matter where you attend college in Iowa, if someone has accused you of hazing, our Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm can offer dependable representation.

Potential Defenses in Hazing Cases at Iowa Universities

The attorneys with the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team know that the best defense strategy in a case involving hazing accusations is the defense strategy tailored to the specific details of an individual client's case.

We don't know how we'll defend you yet. Our goal is to personalize our service, tailoring our defense strategy to your unique situation.

However, you may find it useful to learn about certain common defense strategies lawyers may employ in hazing cases. The following examples can help you get a sense of the ways we might approach yours.

Potential defense strategies in hazing cases at Iowa colleges and universities include:

• Citing lack of evidence: When determining whether a student accused of hazing should be penalized, a school may not have to meet the same burden of proof that the prosecution would need to meet in a criminal case. Regardless, a school can't violate a student's rights by penalizing them based on minimal evidence. A lawyer may defend their client in a hazing case by citing weaknesses in the case against them.
• Proving an alibi: Some students have alibis, placing them elsewhere at the time of alleged hazing incidents. A student who's falsely accused of hazing may be a victim of mistaken identity. Another student with a grudge against them may have made false accusations in an attempt to get them in trouble. No matter the reason for a false accusation, lawyers can help their clients gather evidence proving they have valid alibis.
• Showing a student was a witness: Not all students who are present during hazing incidents or rituals are direct participants. Sometimes, these incidents occur at parties, where some of the attendees might merely be witnesses to the incident. A lawyer might argue that a student accused of hazing was present for an incident, but didn't participate in it.
• Showing an incident was staged: In rare cases, students may be accused of hazing because they appear in online videos or images appearing to depict hazing incidents. However, in the digital age, some students stage these incidents to generate online content. Attorneys could help a student show that a hazing incident they seem to have participated in wasn't a genuine act of hazing but was merely staged for social media.
• Showing the act doesn't qualify as hazing: Remember, it's not always immediately apparent when an act is hazing or not. Some actions that are characterized as hazing may not necessarily qualify. For example, certain types of physical conditioning exercises for new members of a student team may appear to qualify as hazing to an outsider observer. If there's reason to argue an alleged behavior doesn't meet the criteria of hazing, attorneys can help a student present such an argument.

Attorneys may also help negotiate deals with school officials. When representing clients in criminal cases, lawyers often negotiate with judges and prosecutors to secure lenient sentencing for their clients. In exchange, their clients agree to plead guilty.

Similar options may be on the table when an Iowa university investigates hazing allegations. Lawyers can cite mitigating factors, like your lack of previous disciplinary issues, to indicate why any penalties you face shouldn't be unreasonably harsh.

Just keep in mind that lawyers benefit from having time to work on a defense strategy. The sooner you hire us, the sooner we can begin working on your case.

Iowa Student Defense Attorneys Can Help When You're Accused of Hazing

We at the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team know that facing accusations of hazing as a student at an Iowa university or college can be a very stressful experience. We aim to reduce your stress and protect your future by offering a defense tailored to the unique details of your case. Get started today by submitting your information through our online contact form or calling us at 888-535-3686.