Arkansas Hazing Law

§ 6-5-201. Definition

   (a) As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise requires, "hazing" means:

   (1) Any willful act on or off the property of any school, college, university, or other educational institution in Arkansas by one (1) student alone or acting with others which is directed against any other student and done for the purpose of intimidating the student attacked by threatening him with social or other ostracism or of submitting such student to ignominy, shame, or disgrace among his fellow students, and acts calculated to produce such results; or

   (2) The playing of abusive or truculent tricks on or off the property of any school, college, university, or other educational institution in Arkansas by one (1) student alone or acting with others, upon another student to frighten or scare him; or

   (3) Any willful act on or off the property of any school, college, university, or other educational institution in Arkansas by one (1) student alone or acting with others which is directed against any other student done for the purpose of humbling the pride, stifling the ambition, or impairing the courage of the student attacked or to discourage him from remaining in that school, college, university, or other educational institution, or reasonably to cause him to leave the institution rather than submit to such acts; or

   (4) Any willful act on or off the property of any school, college, university, or other educational institution in Arkansas by one (1) student alone or acting with others in striking, beating, bruising, or maiming; or seriously offering, threatening, or attempting to strike, beat, bruise, or maim; or to do or seriously offer, threaten, or attempt to do physical violence to any student of any such educational institution; or any assault upon any such student made for the purpose of committing any of the acts, or producing any of the results, to such student as defined in this section.

(b) The term "hazing" as defined in this section does not include customary athletic events or similar contests or competitions and is limited to those actions taken and situations created in connection with initiation into or affiliation with any organization.

§ 6-5-202. Prohibitions

   (a) No student of any school, college, university, or other educational institution in Arkansas shall engage in what is commonly known and recognized as hazing or encourage, aid, or assist any other student in the commission of this offense.

(b) (1) No person shall knowingly permit, encourage, aid, or assist any person in committing the offense of hazing, or willfully acquiesce in the commission of such offense, or fail to report promptly his knowledge or any reasonable information within his knowledge of the presence and practice of hazing in this state to an appropriate administrative official of the school, college, university, or other educational institution in Arkansas.

   (2) Any act of omission or commission shall be deemed hazing under the provisions of this subsection.

§ 6-5-203. Penalties

   (a) The offense of hazing is a Class B misdemeanor.

(b) Upon conviction of any student of the offense of hazing, he shall, in addition to any punishment imposed by the court, be expelled from the school, college, university, or other educational institution he is attending.