COLUMBUS – Tougher criminal penalties for hazing in Ohio will take effect this fall, nearly three years after the death of the college student from Dublin for whom the law is named.
Gov. Mike DeWine signed “Collin’s Law” on Tuesday.
This law…will say ‘we do not tolerate this in the state of Ohio. We can’t wait to get serious about this until we lose another child, until we lose another college student,” DeWine said before signing the bill named for Collin Wiant, an Ohio University student who died in 2018.
Momentum for the proposal grew after Bowling Green State University student Stone Foltz, from Delaware County, died in March following another alleged fraternity hazing.
The parents of both young men attended the signing ceremony.
Under the new law, hazing involving forced consumption of drugs or alcohol that seriously harms someone will be a third-degree felony punishable with prison time.
The law, which takes effect in 90 days, also expands the list of officials required to report hazing, widens the scope of those who can be punished for participating in or permitting hazing, requires those aware of hazing report it to authorities, requires the Ohio Department of Higher Education to implement a statewide anti-hazing plan and for staff and volunteers at colleges and universities to undergo training on hazing awareness and prevention.