WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) hosted a conference call as he reintroduces the REACH Act, legislation to address hazing on college campuses, following the tragic death of Stone Foltz, a Bowling Green State University student who died due to an alleged alcohol-induced hazing event earlier this month. Since 2000, there have been more than 50 hazing-related deaths on America’s college campuses.
“We have to do more to stop these student deaths – parents shouldn’t have to worry for their child’s safety because they join a fraternity or a sorority,” said Brown.
Brown was joined on today’s call by Ms. Kathleen Wiant, whose son Collin died in a tragic hazing incident in 2018. Ms. Wiant joins Brown’s call for federal action and passage of Brown’s REACH Act.
“We need to change the culture of hazing and how it’s viewed. Changing this culture begins with changing the laws, because no family should have to experience the most painful type of heartbreak imaginable due of hazing. Parents and students deserve and need access to the necessary information to keep students safe,” said Ms. Wiant.
Brown’s REACH Act would:
- Require hazing incidents to be reported as part of a college’s annual crime report,
- Establish a definition of hazing to clarify what constitutes a reportable offense, and
- Require institutions to establish a campus-wide, research-based program to educate students about the dangers of hazing.