New Jersey hazing law makes hazing a crime. It also requires middle schools, high schools, and colleges to adopt anti-hazing policies. The current version is known as Timothy J. Piazza’s Law and was signed on August 24, 2021. Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death is now a third-degree crime.
If your child was hurt during an initiation, you may feel angry, scared, and unsure where to turn. You are not alone, and you have rights. This guide explains what the New Jersey Hazing Law covers, how it is enforced, and when a family may be able to take civil action.
Why New Jersey Passed Timothy J. Piazza’s Law
Tim Piazza grew up in Readington, New Jersey. He was a 19-year-old Penn State student when he died in February 2017 after a fraternity hazing event. His parents, Jim and Evelyn Piazza, pushed for stronger laws in his name.
Pennsylvania passed its own Piazza anti-hazing law in 2018. New Jersey followed with Timothy J. Piazza’s Law (Senate Bills 84 and 2093), signed by Governor Phil Murphy. It strengthened the state’s 1980 hazing statute and added new duties for schools.
What Counts as Hazing Under the New Jersey Hazing Statute?
Under the New Jersey Hazing Statute (N.J.S.A. 2C:40-3), hazing happens in connection with joining or belonging to a student or fraternal organization. A person commits hazing if they knowingly or recklessly do any of the following to someone else:
- Cause, coerce, or pressure them to break a federal or state criminal law
- Cause, coerce, or pressure them to eat, drink, or take alcohol, drugs, or another substance that risks physical or emotional harm
- Subject them to physical abuse, such as beating, whipping, branding, excessive calisthenics, or exposure to the elements
- Subject them to mental or emotional abuse, such as sleep deprivation, social isolation, or extreme humiliation
- Subject them to abuse of a sexual nature
- Subject them to any other activity reasonably likely to cause bodily injury
“Knowingly or recklessly” means the person either meant to do it or ignored an obvious risk. Reasonable and customary athletic, law enforcement, or military training and competitions are not hazing under the law.
Hazing is not limited to fraternities and sororities. For the school-policy parts of the law, “organization” includes clubs, associations, societies, and similar groups whose members are mostly minors, students, or alumni.
Penalties Under New Jersey Hazing Law
The penalty depends on how badly the victim was hurt:
| Result of the hazing | Offense level | Possible penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Death or serious bodily injury | Third-degree crime | 3 to 5 years in prison, a fine up to $15,000, or both |
| Bodily injury | Fourth-degree crime | Up to 18 months in prison, a fine up to $10,000, or both |
| No injury | Disorderly persons offense | Up to 6 months in jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both |
Before 2021, hazing causing serious injury was only a fourth-degree crime. Hazing causing a lesser injury was a disorderly persons offense, which is similar to a misdemeanor.
Groups and schools can also be fined. A student or fraternal organization, or a college, that knowingly or recklessly promotes or facilitates hazing faces a fine of $1,000 to $5,000 for a first violation and $5,000 to $15,000 for each later one.
“They Agreed to It” Is Not a Defense
Consent is not a defense to a hazing charge in New Jersey. It also doesn’t matter whether the fraternity, sorority, or school approved the activity.
Amnesty for Calling 9-1-1
The law encourages people to get help fast. A person or group may be immune from hazing prosecution if they call 9-1-1, campus security, or police, give their name, are the first to report, and stay with the injured person until help arrives.
What New Jersey Schools and Colleges Must Do
Piazza’s Law reaches well beyond college Greek life. Public and private middle schools and high schools, plus public and independent colleges, must:
- Adopt a written anti-hazing policy and post it on their website
- Run a program to enforce it, with penalties such as probation, suspension, expulsion, or withholding diplomas or transcripts
- Apply the policy to hazing on or off campus
Colleges have one more duty. They must keep a report of hazing violations reported to them and post it publicly. Reports are updated twice a year, on January 1 and August 1, and leave out students’ names.
For families, these reports can show whether a school knew about earlier problems with a group. That history can matter a great deal in a civil case.
New Jersey Hazing Liability: Who Can Be Held Responsible?
A criminal case punishes those responsible for hazing. A civil lawsuit is different. It gives victims and their families a way to seek compensation, even if no one has been convicted of a crime.
Depending on what happened, New Jersey hazing liability may extend to several parties:
- The members who planned or carried out the hazing
- The local chapter, club, or team
- The national fraternity or sorority, if it knew about the risks and failed to act
- The school or college, if it ignored warning signs or failed to enforce its own policy
- The property owner or host where the hazing took place
Victims may be able to recover money for medical bills, therapy, missed school or work, and pain and suffering. If hazing results in someone’s death, their family may also be able to bring a wrongful death claim.
Deadlines Matter
Most New Jersey personal injury claims must be filed within two years (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2). For a minor, that clock generally does not start until the child turns 18. Claims against a public entity, such as a public school district or state university, usually require a written notice of claim within 90 days under the New Jersey Tort Claims Act. Because these deadlines can be short, speak with hazing lawyers in New Jersey as soon as you can.
Frequently Asked Questions
New Jersey’s hazing law is known as Timothy J. Piazza’s Law. Signed in 2021, it amended N.J.S.A. 2C:40-3. The law makes hazing a crime, increases penalties when someone is hurt or killed, and requires middle schools, high schools, and colleges to adopt and enforce anti-hazing policies.
Yes. If you’ve been hurt by hazing, you may be able to file a civil lawsuit, even if no one has been criminally charged. Claims are often based on negligence, meaning someone failed to use reasonable care to prevent harm.
Yes. College students who haze can be charged under New Jersey’s hazing statute. Charges range from a disorderly persons offense to a third-degree crime if the hazing causes serious injury or death. A student who calls 9-1-1 first and stays to help may qualify for immunity.
It may be possible. Parents of a minor can usually bring a claim on the child’s behalf, and adult students can bring their own. A college may be liable if it knew or should have known about the danger and failed to act. Public colleges have a 90-day notice requirement.
Yes. A hazing victim can file a lawsuit in New Jersey against the people and organizations responsible. Most claims must be filed within two years of the injury, and claims against public schools usually need notice within 90 days. A New Jersey hazing attorney can confirm your deadline.
Talk to a New Jersey Hazing Lawyer at EOL
No one should be hurt for wanting to belong. If you or your child was harmed by hazing, you deserve answers and someone in your corner.
Ethen Ostroff Law is an injury firm serving New Jersey and Pennsylvania. A New Jersey hazing lawyer on our team can review what happened, explain your options, and help you act before key deadlines pass. Learn more on our Hazing Lawsuits page.
Your consultation is free, and you pay no fees unless we win. Call 610-510-8883 or fill out the form on EOL.law today.
Justice For All.
