Hazing Violations
The University of Texas at San Antonio is committed to providing a safe educational environment for everyone and does not tolerate hazing by any group or individual affiliated with the university. The university expects that all students and organizations will observe and fully comply with state law, university regulations, and administrative rules associated with the prohibition of hazing.
Participation in hazing activities is against the law. Violation of the University’s hazing policy, whether on or off campus, may subject participants, including students and organizations, to arrest, prosecution and/or disciplinary action, including, but not limited to, suspension or expulsion of students and the revocation of an organization’s registration and/or recognition at the University. Consent to or acquiescence in hazing activity is not a defense.
State Law
Hazing is prohibited under state law and university policy. The law defines hazing as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, occurring on or off the campus of an educational institution, by one person alone or acting with others, directed against a student that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization whose members are or include students at an educational institution.
University Policies
The University of Texas at San Antonio Prohibition of Hazing
- Student Organizations found to have violated the Student Code of Conduct in terms of hazing will be sanctioned. The Student Organization Discipline process can be found in the Student Organization Relationship Statement.
- Individual students who participate in hazing activities can also face sanctions. Again, the severity of the sanction will depend on many factors. The individuals at most risk are the leaders and anyone who organizes or leads the activities. A complete listing of possible sanctions can be found in the Student Code of Conduct under Sections 301 and 302.
State law does not affect or in any way restrict the right of UTSA to enforce its own rules against hazing, and the University may take disciplinary action for conduct that constitutes hazing regardless of whether public authorities prosecute students under state law.
Report Hazing
According to law, a person can commit a hazing offense not only by engaging in a hazing activity but also by soliciting, directing, encouraging, aiding, or attempting to aid another in hazing; by intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly allowing hazing to occur; or by failing to report in writing to the Dean of Students firsthand knowledge that a hazing incident is planned or has occurred. The fact that a person consented to or acquiesced in a hazing activity is not a defense to prosecution for hazing under the law.
In an effort to encourage reporting of hazing incidents, the law grants immunity from civil or criminal liability to any person who reports a specific hazing event to the Dean of Students and immunizes that person from participation in any judicial proceeding resulting from that report.
Student Affairs
Student Conduct and Community Standards
210-458-4720
or visit their office
Student Union 2.02.18
for more information, please see the Student Code of Conduct
Groups Found in Violation
Example: Name of Involved Organization
- Relevant Details
Pi Kappa Phi
- The organization was placed on interim suspension through June 2022. The organization was not in good standing during this time. The organization is on disciplinary probation through May 2024. The organization must complete several educational activities during this time. The organization was found to have committed the following violations: A failure to report violations of the Student Code of Conduct, unnecessarily blindfolding Associate Members during ritual ceremonies for long periods of time before and during activities, including transportation to the location of the activities; condoning associate member off-campus party with the intent on providing alcohol to guests during a “dry period” new member process; failure to control and/or confront activities that members knew were inappropriate; and inviting Associate Members to an off-campus bar during their dry pledge process and condoning the use of fake identification to get into the bar.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated
- The organization was placed on interim suspension through December 2022. The organization was not in good standing during this time. The organization is on disciplinary suspension through December 2024. The organization has lost university recognition. The organization was found to have committed the following violations: A failure to report violations of the Student Code of Conduct, Failure to control and/or confront activities that members knew were inappropriate, a pre-pledging process outside of and in violation of the organization’s membership recruitment process, instructing pledges not to eat certain foods or wear certain clothing as part of the pledging process. This included anything “red” symbolizing their sorority colors, facilitating a line-up of members meant to demean or ridicule, confining pledges into small spaces at least once to hide their identities as part of the initiation process., causing pledges to experience high anxiety from activities related to the intake process, requiring pledges to be displaced from their residence to live with other pledges for the purpose of “bonding", instructing pledges to attend an off-campus residence to rehearse history of organization and history of chapter, instructing pledges to call previous members of the sorority on the phone in “shifts”, instructing pledges were to perform calisthenics (including but not limited to planks, squats and arm circles) when information or answers to questions were recited or answered incorrectly, when pledges were instructed to perform calisthenics, they were allowed to use medical devices (i.e. inhalers) or find alternative ways to execute calisthenics if they had injuries that would prevent complying with the instructions given, and instructing pledges to lie when summoned to Student Conduct and Community Standards in regards to the investigation./a>.
