Ohio universities take steps to prevent hazing in response to Collin’s Law

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Several Ohio universities are requiring anti-hazing training for students, faculty and staff, partly in response to Collin’s Law.

Collin’s Law requires university employees to report incidents of hazing. The law, which makes hazing a felony, was named in remembrance of 18-year-old Collin Wiant who died in a hazing incident in 2018 while a pledge at the Sigma Pi fraternity at Ohio University.

The Ohio State University has placed an anti-hazing policy into effect, defining the training as “something all students, faculty and staff must complete online as an annual requirement”.

Otterbein University has also designed an online course for students new to Greek organizations and within athletic departments.

The training is to help identify and prevent further acts of hazing in Ohio.

“We want to make sure that our university community can define what hazing is,” Ryan Lovell, Associate Dean of Students and Senior Director, Parent and Family Relations at OSU, said.

“We want to make sure that folks are aware of how to identify hazing and intervene in hazing when they are able. We also want to make sure that our university community knows about reporting.”

University officials say that the anti-hazing training takes about 30 minutes to complete, and the course is mandatory.