Addressing the High School Hazing Problem: Why Lawmakers Need to Impose a Duty to Act on School Personnel

34 Pages Posted: 30 Oct 2008

See all articles by Marc Edelman

Marc Edelman

City University of New York - Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business; Fordham University School of Law

Date Written: 2004

Abstract

This Article argues that, to be effective, hazing law needs to impose both a criminal and civil duty on school personnel to act affirmatively. Part I of this article discusses in detail the problem of high school hazing. Part II discusses how American law addresses (or fails to address) hazing. Part III discusses shortcomings in moral reasoning that underlie current anti-hazing law. Part IV explores legal alternatives to address hazing. Part V concludes that the best way to address hazing is for Congress, under its spending power, to withhold education funds from individual states unless they: 1) impose both a criminal and civil duty on school personnel to act affirmatively against hazing, 2) impose penalties on school personnel that violate these duties, and 3) bar the affirmative defenses of "assumption of risk" and "sovereign immunity" where these duties are violated.

Keywords: hazing, high school, duty of care, duty to act affirmatively, assumption of risk, deterrence, retribution

Suggested Citation

Edelman, Marc, Addressing the High School Hazing Problem: Why Lawmakers Need to Impose a Duty to Act on School Personnel (2004). Pace Law Review, Vol. 25, No. 1, 2004, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1291983

Marc Edelman (Contact Author)

City University of New York - Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business ( email )

One Bernard Baruch Way
Box B9-220
New York, NY 10010
United States

Fordham University School of Law ( email )

140 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023
United States

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