William & Mary and the W&M Athletics Department has zero tolerance of hazing activities. Staff and students found in violation of institutional policy may be subject to criminal prosecution and/or disciplinary action. Members of the coaching staff, administrators and student-athletes are strongly encouraged to report hazing activities to the Athletics Director and to the Dean of Students.
A reporting form can be found here:https://www.wm.edu/sites/hazingprevention/reportinghazing/index.php
Neither the State of Virginia nor William & Mary distinguishes between hazing incidents involving willing participants and those involving unwilling participants. Student-athletes who are subject to hazing, even if they do so voluntarily or willingly, are not subject to the discipline that the perpetrators face and are therefore encouraged to report any hazing incidents immediately.
According to the Code of Virginia § 18.2-56, “hazing’ means to recklessly or intentionally endanger the health or safety of a student or students or to inflict bodily injury on a student or students in connection with or for the purpose of initiation, admission into or affiliation with or as a condition for continued membership in a club, organization, association, fraternity, sorority, or student body regardless of whether the student or students so endangered or injured participated voluntarily in the relevant activity.”
The William & Mary Student Handbook further defines hazing as “any action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off campus, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule.” The full policy can be found at https://www.wm.edu/sites/hazingprevention/hazingpolicy/index.php
