Vermont Statutes Title 16 Sec. 178
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 16 Sec. 178
- Hazing: means any act committed by a person, whether individually or in concert with others, against a student in connection with pledging, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization that is affiliated with an educational institution; and that is intended to have the effect of, or should reasonably be expected to have the effect of, humiliating, intimidating, or demeaning the student or endangering the mental or physical health of a student. See
- Operate: means to establish, keep, or maintain any facility or location from or through which education is offered or given, or educational degrees are offered or granted. See
- Postsecondary school: means any person who offers or operates a program of college or professional education for credit or a degree and enrolls or intends to enroll students. See
- School: means a public postsecondary school operating in the State. See
§ 178. Harassment and hazing prevention policies; postsecondary schools
(a) The board of trustees or other governing body of each postsecondary school operating in Vermont shall adopt and ensure enforcement of a policy establishing that harassment as defined in subdivision 11(a)(26) of this title is a form of unlawful discrimination and therefore prohibited. The board shall also require the establishment of procedures to address complaints of discriminatory harassment and to initiate educational programs designed to prevent such conduct.
(b) The board of trustees or other governing body of each postsecondary school operating in Vermont shall adopt and ensure enforcement of a policy prohibiting hazing, which shall define hazing in a manner that is at least as stringent as the definition contained in subdivision 11(a)(30) of this title. The policy shall include penalties or sanctions, or both, for organizations that or individuals who engage in hazing; revocation or suspension of an organization’s permission to operate or exist within the institution’s purview if that organization knowingly permits, authorizes, or condones hazing; and clear delineation of circumstances under which hazing will be reported to a law enforcement agency. A summary of the policy shall be distributed to all students at least annually. (Added 2009, No. 106 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. May 13, 2010; amended 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 26.)