JMU prohibits hazing for all students, recognized student organizations, and student groups, as they are defined in the Student Handbook. For more information on the university’s Hazing policy, including definitions and examples of prohibited conduct, see the Standards of Conduct & Policies section of the Student Handbook.

Virginia’s “Adam’s Law”

• 23.1-819 through § 23.1-822 of the Code of Virginia (Adam’s Law)requires the university to do several things, including but not limited to:
• “Upon learning of any alleged act of hazing, each institution shall use its disciplinary process to investigate such acts and the students involved in such acts.”
  • At JMU, the disciplinary process is the Organizational Accountability Process outlined in the Student Handbook
  • Alleged misconduct for recognized student organizations and student groups can be submitted by visiting “Reporting to OSARP”
• “…provide to each current member, new member, and potential new member of each student organization with new members hazing prevention training that includes extensive, current, and in-person education about hazing, the dangers of hazing, including alcohol intoxication, and hazing laws and institution policies and information explaining that the institution's disciplinary process is not to be considered a substitute for the criminal legal process. If a student organization with new members has an advisor, such advisor shall receive such hazing prevention training.”
  • At JMU, this training is called “Stop the Haze: Involvement for Wellbeing.” Click the link for the schedule of trainings that occur every fall and spring semester.
• “… maintain and publicly report actual findings of violations of the institution's code of conduct or of federal or state laws pertaining to hazing that are reported to campus authorities or local law enforcement.”
  • The Organizational Records for recognized student organizations and student groups are publicly available on OSARP’s website.
• Additionally, sections 18.2-56 and 23.1-821 of the Code of Virginia: 
  • Declares hazing illegal, establishes conditions for civil and criminal liability, and outlines the duties of the university when a student has been found guilty of hazing in civil or criminal court.  
  • Requires JMU to include as part of its policy, code, rules, or set of standards governing hazing a provision for immunity from individual disciplinary action based on hazing or personal consumption of drugs or alcohol where such disclosure is made by a bystander not involved in such acts in conjunction with a good faith report of an act of hazing in advance of or during an incident of hazing that causes injury or is likely to cause injury to a person. For more information, see “Receipt of Report(s) and Determining an Alleged Policy Violation(s)” in the Organizational Accountability Process in this Handbook.
  • Requires JMU to “publicly report actual findings of violations of the institution's code of conduct or of federal or state laws pertaining to hazing that are reported to campus authorities or local law enforcement.” For more information, see the “Organizational Records” webpage. For more information on Adam’s Law and the required hazing prevention training for members of the university community, please visit the Office of Student Life’s website.

Federal “Stop Campus Hazing Act”

H.R.5646 – 118^th Congress (2023-2024) was signed into law on December 23, 2024, and became Public Law No: 118-173. As summarized at congress.gov by the Congressional Research Service:

• “This act requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in federal student aid programs to report hazing incidents. It also renames the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act as the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act.”
• “Specifically, the act requires each IHE to disclose hazing incidents that were reported to campus security authorities or local police agencies in its annual security report.” The act defines the term hazing that an IHE is required to utilize when reporting statistics around hazing incidents.
• “Additionally, each IHE must include in its annual security report (1) a statement of current policies relating to hazing, how to report hazing incidents, the process used to investigate hazing incidents, and information on applicable laws on hazing; and (2) a statement of policy regarding prevention and awareness programs relating to hazing that includes a description of prevention programs.”
• “Further, an IHE must develop a campus hazing transparency report that summarizes findings concerning any student organization found to be in violation of the IHE's standards of conduct relating to hazing. An IHE is not required to develop or update this report unless the IHE has a finding of a hazing violation.”
• “The act does not apply to foreign IHEs.”

The Campus Transparency Report required by this law is publicly available on OSARP’s website through the Organizational Records for recognized student organizations and student groups.

The hazing prevention training that is available for all students, faculty, and staff is “Stop the Haze: Involvement for Wellbeing,” which is facilitated by the Office of Student Life every fall and spring semester. Click the link for a training schedule.

Additionally, the university’s Annual Security & Fire Safety report is publicly available on the JMU Police Department’s website. NOTE: federal law does not require JMU to report hazing statistics in relation to the Stop Campus Hazing Act until the Annual Security & Fire Safety report for 2026.

Reporting Allegations of Hazing

The Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices (OSARP) at James Madison University receives and responds to reports of alleged misconduct for individual students, recognized student organizations, and student groups, as they are defined in the Student Handbook.

OSARP typically reviews and responds to reports:

• If the alleged misconduct may violate university policy, as listed in the Standards of Conduct & Policies section of the Student Handbook
• Follows the guidelines outlined in the "Jurisdiction - Students" or "Jurisdiction - Recognized Student Organizations and Student Groups" sections of the Student Handbook.

OSARP processes should not be confused with other university or external investigation and/or conduct processes, including criminal or civil court processes.

For more information about reporting alleged misconduct to OSARP, please visit “Reporting to OSARP” and use the drop-down menus to access the information relevant to your report. If you are submitting a report for a recognized student organization or student group, you will also find information about:

• The link to OSARP’s online reporting form
• Suggestions for what to include/not include in your report
• Anonymity with reporting and participation in the process
• Individual disciplinary immunity related to reports of alleged misconduct
• The university policy prohibiting Interference or Retaliation in a University Process by individual students, recognized student organizations, and student groups
• The ongoing mental and behavioral health support resources for:
  • Any student who reports to OSARP an alleged act of hazing or other alleged misconduct by a student, recognized student organization, or student group 
  • Any student who reports to OSARP an alleged act of bullying experienced as a result of a report of an alleged act of hazing or a report of other alleged misconduct by a student, recognized student organization, or student group 
  • Any student going through an individual or organizational OSARP process
• Victim Advocacy Services and Other Resources for students
• How to report other types of alleged misconduct for:
  • Emergencies and/or Immediate Health/Safety Concerns
  • Sexual Misconduct or Title IX Sexual Harassment
  • Criminal Activity
  • Honor Code Violations for Individual Students
  • Discrimination, Harassment, and/or Retaliation (Other than Sexual Misconduct & Title IX Sexual Harassment)

The university’s disciplinary process for investigating and reviewing allegations of misconduct, including hazing, for recognized student organizations or student groups, is the Organizational Accountability Process. This process is coordinated by the Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices (OSARP) and is detailed in the Student Handbook.

NOTE: The Individual Accountability Process, also coordinated by OSARP, may be initiated for an individual student who was involved in the reporting of, investigation of, or review process for an alleged violation(s) of university policy by a recognized student organization or student group. The initiation of the Individual Accountability Process can occur concurrently, before, or after an Organizational Accountability Process. Individual students and organizations/groups can both be accountable and/or responsible for the allegations reported to OSARP, including allegations of hazing.

The Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices (OSARP) maintains the organizational records for recognized student organizations and student groups, and they are publicly available as outlined in the “Records – Recognized Student Organizations and Student Groups” portion of the Student Handbook.

Organizational Records are available HERE on OSARP’s website. Additionally, the information on this webpage is reported in compliance with Virginia’s “Adam’s Law” (§ 23.1-819 through § 23.1-822 of the Code of Virginia) and the federal “Stop Campus Hazing Act” (H.R.5646 – 118^th Congress (2023-2024).

In accordance with JMU’s commitment to prepare and develop students, through academic and co-curricular activities, to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives, and to comply with the federal “Stop Campus Hazing Act” and Virginia’s “Adam’s Law,” JMU provides research-informed campus-wide prevention programs that are designed to reach students, staff, and faculty.

JMU’s hazing prevention program is “Stop the Haze: Involvement for Wellbeing.” Virginia’s “Adam’s Law” requires university staff to provide in-person training to potential new organization members, current organization members, and Advisers of student organizations about hazing, the dangers of hazing (including alcohol intoxication), hazing laws and institution policies, and provide information about JMU’s disciplinary process (Organizational Accountability Process) not being a substitute for the criminal legal process. This program is available for students, staff, and faculty to attend in both the fall and spring semesters, and the schedule can be found HERE. “Stop the Haze: Involvement for Wellbeing” is grounded in the socio-ecological framework for hazing prevention. The content is presented from a public health approach for prevention and addresses individuals, groups, the institution, community, and society. Attendees will learn about current trends around hazing along with information on how to look for and contribute to healthy organizational environments built to develop group cohesion and unity.

Only certain organizations are required to attend “Stop the Haze: Involvement for Wellbeing”:

• The organization is structured in such a way that upon invitation for membership, individuals do not automatically become members of such organization and have a period of time between invitation for membership and being initiated into membership.

• An application, interview, recruitment, rush, intake or other similar process is required for admittance into the organization, with current members having the ability to not accept all potential new members.

“Stop the Haze: Involvement for Wellbeing” is mandatory by law for these organizations to remain active and recognized by JMU. Failure to have all members trained will result in further action from the Office of Student Life, which may include a loss of recognition, a loss of organizational privileges, or a referral to the Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices (OSARP) for an alleged violation of university policy.

Recognized student organizations and student groups may have additional training requirements, including hazing prevention training, from their organizations/groups, their national headquarters or governing bodies, or faculty/staff at JMU or offices they affiliate with at JMU.