Messiah University "Anti-Hazing" Statement
Messiah University and Pennsylvania Law prohibit hazing in any form. Hazing is defined by the Pennsylvania Hazing Law as “any action or situation which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student or which willfully destroys or removes public or private property for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in, any organization operating under the sanction of or recognized as an organization by an institution of higher education. The term shall include, but not be limited to, any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug or other substance, or any other forced physical activity which could adversely affect the physical health and safety of the individual, and shall include any activity which would subject the individual to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contact, forced conduct which could result in extreme embarrassment, or any other forced activity which could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the individual, or any willful destruction or removal of public or private property. For purposes of this definition, any activity as described in this definition upon which the initiation or admission into or affiliation with or continued membership in an organization is directly or indirectly conditioned shall be presumed to be "forced" activity, the willingness of an individual to participate in such activity notwithstanding.”
For more information on the University’s “Anti-Hazing” statement, see: /download/downloads/id/528/Current_Student_Handbook.pdf
Messiah University
Hazing Report
Time Period Covered: 2019 - 2024
This report is published in accordance with ACT 80 of 2018, the Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law, 18 Pa.C.S. & 2809 et seq.
Update.--An institution shall update the report biannually on January 1 and August 1 and shall post the updated report on its publicly accessible Internet website.
Duration.--An institution shall retain reports for five years.
| DATE CHARGED | DATE RESOLVED | DESCRIPTION | SANCTIONS/PENALTIES |
| 12/20/2024 | 3/1/2025 | The University received a report (on or about October 14, 2024) from an anonymous student athlete on the men's soccer team alleging that members of the coaching staff of the men's soccer program knew about and did not appropriately prevent, report, or address incidents of hazing on August 20, 2021 that included a game of kickball during which the participants removed their clothing and played naked and were subsequently chased by program alumni pretending to be University safety officers. The University investigation was initiated on December 12, 2024. At the request of the complainant, the investigation was held until after the season ended. | The University investigation identified that one incident of alleged hazing (as previously described) did occur on August 20, 2021. The investigation also determined that a member of the coaching staff of the men's soccer program was aware of elements of this incident and did address the incident but failed to appropriately prevent and report the incident. Sanctions include; a coaching suspension for the remainder of the Spring semester of 2025, following the conclusion of the investigation, ending May 15, 2025; the suspension of an alumnus from a coaching or volunteer relationship with the team for the summer of 2025, and the men's soccer program will sponsor department-wide professional development and programming related to positive team culture cultivation and hazing prevention. |
| 1/1/2024 - 7/31/2024 | - | No incidents related to hazing reported at this time. | |
| 8/1/2023 - 1/1/2023 | - | No incidents related to hazing reported at this time. | |
| 1/1/2023 - 7/31/2023 | - | No incidents related to hazing reported at this time. | |
| 8/1/2022 - 12/31/2022 | - | No incidents related to hazing reported at this time. | |
| 1/1/2022 - 7/31/2022 | - | No incidents related to hazing reported at this time. | |
| 8/1/2021 - 7/31/2021 | - | No incidents related to hazing reported at this time. | |
| 1/1/2021 - 7/31/2021 | - | No incidents related to hazing reported at this time. | |
| 8/1/2020 – 12/31/2020 | - | No incidents related to hazing reported at this time. | |
| 1/1/2020 - 7/31/2020 | - | ||
| 2/25/2020 | 2/26/2020 | The University received a report from an employee on behalf of student athletes on the swim team; the employee was told that during recruiting weekend for swimmers (this took place at the end of October or beginning of November, 2019) the Messiah University swim team organized a campus-wide scavenger hunt where prospective students were divided amount groups of current student athletes to complete tasks around campus. One of the tasks for prospective students to complete was to kiss a stranger on campus. One of the prospective students was “made to” complete this task by their group. This seemed to indicate that the prospective student did not wish to kiss a stranger but was pressured to do so by current student athletes. | University officials met with the swim team. The University created an action plan to address the concerns. |
| 8/1/2019 - 12/31/2019 | - | No incidents related to hazing reported at this time. | |
| 1/1/2019 -7/31/2019 | - | No incidents related to hazing reported at this time. |