In college, shared moments are an important part of the bonding experience. From late-night study sessions at the Paul Robeson Campus Center to cheering for the Scarlet Knights—alongside the school mascot aptly named Sir Henry, the Scarlet Knight- a sense of belonging is an integral part of being a student. However, often the pursuit of unity within student organizations can cross the line into hazing, a practice that has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years with the passage of the Stop Campus Hazing Act.
However, it is not just college and university students who have to worry about hazing when it is involved. On top of possible disciplinary sanctions—up to and including expulsion—students might also face criminal charges stemming from hazing.
If you find yourself facing hazing allegations as a Rutgers student, understanding both the charges against you and the risks, not just to your schooling, but to your freedom, is of the utmost importance. That's where the Lento Law Firm comes in. The Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team is the perfect ally to defend you against allegations of hazing. Our team stands at the intersection of criminal defense and college or university disciplinary processes, and is able to offer you the best of both worlds when it comes to legal advice.
Allegations of hazing can derail your education and career, but that's not all—they can also cost you your freedom. The Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team works with college students throughout the state of New Jersey to protect not just their education, their future, and their goals, but to protect their hard-earned rights even outside of any disciplinary procedure that might involve their schooling. Because hazing can have more far-reaching consequences than just suspension or expulsion from your college or university, as serious as that is. Call us today at 888-535-3686 or contact us, and we will get in touch with you to discuss your case.
New Jersey's Anti-Hazing Laws
In New Jersey, the state in which Rutgers is located, the laws to take into account when it comes to hazing are the Timothy J. Piazza Law, enacted in 2021, which requires all colleges and universities to have anti-hazing policies and the Stop Campus Hazing Act, which was passed in 2024 by the U.S. Congress.
The Stop Campus Hazing Act increased penalties for hazing, making events that result in serious injury or death a third-degree crime, and hazing that causes any bodily injury became a fourth-degree crime. This law makes it way more likely students will be charged with a hazing crime, as it widens the scope of the conduct and makes schools hypervigilant to conduct that might be considered hazing.
In New Jersey, hazing must have two components to be considered a crime. The first is that it has to cause another person some type of harm. The second is that it has to take place within the specific settings of a college or university.
A person might be guilty of hazing when they knowingly or recklessly:
- Subject someone else to abuse, mistreatment, harassment, or degradation of a physical, mental, emotional, or sexual nature
- Force or cause another person to:
- Break any federal or state criminal laws
- Consume any food, drink, alcohol, drug, or other substance that could cause harm or otherwise negatively affect someone's health
The Rutgers University Code of Conduct, in particular, defines hazing as:
- Engaging in any act that impacts the mental, emotional, or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation into, admission into, affiliation with, or continued membership in any organization or team whose members are Rutgers University students.
- Engaging in any activity that is inconsistent with regulations or policies of Rutgers University or laws in the State of New Jersey for the purpose of initiation into, admission into, affiliation with, or continued membership in any organization or team whose members are Rutgers University students.
The code also states that any student “found responsible for committing, attempting to commit, or assisting others in committing an act of hazing shall be subject to disciplinary sanctions under the Code.”
Possible Consequences – Criminal & Disciplinary
The possible consequences for hazing allegations are twofold: criminal and disciplinary, and they both should be taken very seriously. An allegation of hazing can ruin a student's reputation and career, but it can also seriously jeopardize their freedom. The Stop Campus Hazing Act heightens the likelihood that a student will be reported for hazing by raising the standards of required reporting by colleges. The law also requires colleges to publish on their website the institution's hazing prevention policies and the organizations that have violated them.
In general, these are good steps, but without nuance and information, they can sometimes mean students will be left in situations where they cannot defend themselves or where they don't know what the best path forward for them is if they are faced with an allegation of hazing. That's where the Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team comes in.
We can advise you not just on the disciplinary process within the school, in case you are being accused of hazing and are worried about possible suspension or expulsion, but also in cases where you are facing probable prosecution and criminal hazing charges. In those cases, it's important to understand that it's possible you can avoid being charged if:
- You contacted 9-1-1 or otherwise reported someone needed medical help due to hazing
- You remained at the scene alongside the person who needed medical assistance until emergency services arrived
And even if these circumstances don't qualify you for immunity, they can go a long way towards minimizing any possible criminal consequences from hazing. The Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team can help build a case that takes into account all those details, while also taking into account that the criminal system works very differently from internal school disciplinary processes. That means that while a student might not end up being charged under New Jersey's hazing laws, that doesn't mean he will not be charged with other crimes.
The Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team understands how university codes of conduct and criminal law can intersect, and how to best advise you every step of the way to make sure that you can face not just any possible criminal charges, but also any disciplinary repercussions that might come your way. Sadly, just because a criminal case is brought against you, that doesn't mean a separate disciplinary process cannot also be brought against you in your college or university and the standards of proof between the two vary wildly—which is why it's important to have the right legal representation that understands how best to protect you in each separate case.
Hazing is a very serious accusation that can disrupt your life and have very serious repercussions not just for your career but for your freedom and your future. How you behave from the moment you are accused, the decisions you make, and how you face a possible investigation can be the difference between a favorable resolution and a problem that will follow you for the rest of your life. Let the Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team be your ally as you face these allegations.
How the Lento Law Firm Can Help
Being charged with criminal hazing can have serious repercussions for your education, your future, and your career. But the Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team can be there for you. We can provide assistance every step of the way, not just in helping you understand the allegations against you, but what the process you will be facing will look like—both when it comes to college and university policies and procedures, and when it comes to criminal charges.
In cases of hazing, it's important to understand that students can and often will face both disciplinary action and criminal charges at the same time, and even if a school chooses not to pursue disciplinary action against a student, criminal charges could still be a possibility, or vice versa. The concept of double jeopardy doesn't exist when we're talking about two different jurisdictions, and you cannot rely on the notion that you cannot be judged twice for the same infraction, because you can and you will.
The Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team understands both New Jersey's criminal laws and procedures and university policies and procedures, as well as how those two separate but related systems can interact. Sometimes, colleges and universities, and even law enforcement, might look at cases of hazing as a way to make an example out of students, doling out punishments that far exceed a student's actions, failing to consider relevant evidence. That's what you need: an advocate who will look out for your best interests and will intercede on your behalf.
If you're facing criminal hazing charges in New Jersey, the Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team can help. Call us at 888-535-3686 or contact us using this form, and we will get in touch with you to set up a confidential consultation.
