Lawmaker Wants Changes In Hazing Laws

After some college students in Missouri and around the country have been the victims of hazing, a state lawmaker wants to protect people who seek to help the victims in those critical moments. State Representative Travis Smith, of Dora, is proposing to shield anyone from being found guilty of hazing if the person takes certain steps to save the victim. The bill is in response to Danny Santulli, a former University of Missouri fraternity pledge who can no longer walk, talk, or see because of a hazing incident in 2021.

Under his bill, a person who is first to call 911 or campus security to ask for medical help, they could not be found guilty of hazing. If they provide first aid to a hazing victim, they would be immune from prosecution for hazing.