Hazing Transparency Report

Hazing Transparency and Max Gruver Report

Hazing is prohibited at South Georgia State College and is a crime in Georgia. This web page is SGSC's Campus Hazing Transparency Report under the Stop Campus Hazing Act and its public disclosure under the Max Gruver Act. It covers the College's hazing policy, reporting procedures, investigation and due process, applicable law, prevention programming, and findings disclosures.

Our Commitment to Campus Safety

South Georgia State College is committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environment where all students can thrive. Hazing fundamentally contradicts our core values and poses significant risks to individual well-being and to the campus community.

The College maintains a zero-tolerance policy for hazing, including the solicitation, aiding, or abetting of hazing activities. Consent by the person hazed is not a defense. Apathy or acquiescence in the presence of hazing is not a neutral act; it is a violation of College policy. All students, faculty, and staff must take reasonable measures to prevent hazing within their scope of authority. This policy applies to students, faculty, staff, and affiliated organizations on both the Douglas and Waycross campuses.

Download the full SGSC Anti-Hazing Policy (PDF)

Definitions

South Georgia State College has adopted the University System of Georgia's unified definition of hazing. It meets or exceeds the requirements of both the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act and Georgia's Max Gruver Act, and it applies to the College's student conduct process, its hazing statistics, and this report.

Hazing

Hazing means any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person, whether individually or in concert with other persons, against another person or persons, regardless of the willingness of such other person or persons to participate, that:

1. Is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation or connection with, the maintenance of membership in, or any other condition or precondition connected to a student organization or school organization; and
2. Causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in institution or organization activities (such as the physical preparation necessary for participation in an athletic team), of physical or psychological injury, including:
   1. Whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone's body, or similar activity;
   2. Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity;
   3. Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances;
   4. Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;
   5. Any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct;
   6. Any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, state, tribal, or federal law; and
   7. Any activity that induces, causes, or requires another person to perform a duty or task that involves a criminal violation of local, state, tribal, or federal law.

Hazing may occur on or off campus, in person or electronically, and may be committed by an individual acting alone or by two or more persons acting together.

School or Student Organization

A school or student organization means an organization, such as a club, society, association, corporation, order, varsity or junior varsity athletic team, club sports team, fraternity, sorority, band, student government, or group living together, in which two or more of the members are enrolled students or alumni, including local affiliate organizations, whether or not the organization is established or recognized by the College.

Other Terms Used in This Policy

How This Definition Relates to State and Federal Law

The definition above governs SGSC's conduct process and this report. Two related definitions operate alongside it.

Georgia criminal law. The Max Gruver Act, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-61, defines hazing more narrowly, as subjecting a student to an activity which endangers or is likely to endanger the physical health of a student, or coercing the student through social or physical pressure to consume any food, liquid, alcohol, drug, or other substance which subjects the student to a likely risk of vomiting, intoxication, or unconsciousness, regardless of the student's willingness to participate. Conduct may violate College policy without meeting the criminal standard, and criminal charges are decided by prosecutors and courts, not by the College.

Federal statistical reporting. Hazing statistics in the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report are counted using the federal statutory definition, which the definition above incorporates. Statistics are also limited by Clery geography, so an incident may appear on this page without appearing in the statistics.

Why one definition. Neither the Georgia criminal definition nor the federal statistical definition, on its own, serves as a conduct standard. The Georgia definition reaches physical health endangerment and coerced consumption, but not psychological harm. The federal definition is written for counting incidents rather than adjudicating them. The University System of Georgia's unified definition satisfies both, which is why the College applies it consistently rather than maintaining separate standards.

Applicable Criminal Law

Georgia — O.C.G.A. § 16-5-61 (Max Gruver Act). It is unlawful to haze any student in connection with, or as a condition or precondition of, gaining acceptance, membership, office, or other status in a school organization. A violation is a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both. Consent is not a defense. Where hazing causes serious injury or death, prosecutors may bring additional felony charges.

Other Applicable Law and Policy

Georgia — O.C.G.A. § 20-1-30. Requires each school in Georgia to establish policies for the reporting, investigation, provision of due process, and administrative adjudication of alleged hazing incidents, and for the public disclosure of hazing adjudications and hazing-related criminal convictions within 15 calendar days of final adjudication or public notice of conviction. Each disclosure must include the name of the school organization involved, the dates on which the hazing occurred, and a description of the specific findings, sanctions, adjudications, and convictions, and must remain posted for not less than five years. Disclosures exclude personal identifying information and are subject to FERPA.

Federal — Stop Campus Hazing Act. This federal law amends the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act. It requires institutions to include hazing statistics in the Annual Security Report, publish a Campus Hazing Transparency Report, maintain and publish statements of current hazing policy (including how to report incidents and the process used to investigate them), and offer research-informed, campus-wide hazing prevention programs.

University System of Georgia. Board of Regents Policy 04.06.07 establishes system-wide hazing policy requirements for all USG institutions.

Hazing is not only harmful — it is illegal in the State of Georgia. All reports of suspected hazing will be promptly reviewed and investigated as appropriate based on the available information, and substantiated conduct may result in both institutional disciplinary action and criminal charges. The two processes proceed independently; the College does not delay its conduct process pending the outcome of a criminal case.

How to Report Hazing

SGSC offers multiple ways to report hazing, including anonymous and confidential options. All members of the SGSC community are encouraged to report. No specific form is required; reports may be submitted by email, phone, in person, or online.

Reports should include as much detail as possible: the names of the individuals or organizations involved, the date, time, and location of the incident, a description of what occurred, the names of anyone else with knowledge of it, and any supporting evidence.

Who is a Campus Security Authority

A Campus Security Authority (CSA) is an SGSC official designated to receive crime reports under the Clery Act. CSAs include members of the SGSC Police Department, individuals responsible for campus security, and officials with significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including the Dean of Students and student conduct staff, athletic coaches and staff, student organization advisors, and residence life staff. CSAs do not investigate; they document reports and forward them promptly to the SGSC Police Department or the Clery Compliance Coordinator so the College can assess the need for timely warnings, emergency notifications, and accurate statistical reporting. Faculty and staff who are not CSAs are still encouraged to forward reports to the Dean of Students.

Confidential and anonymous reporting

• Reports to the Dean of Students, SGSC Police, or any Campus Security Authority are handled with discretion but are not confidential. Information is shared with those who need it to investigate, to comply with Clery Act reporting requirements, and to protect campus safety.
• The Anonymous Crime Report Form and the USG Ethics and Compliance Hotline accept reports without requiring you to identify yourself.
• Anonymous reports are recorded and reviewed, but anonymity may limit the College's ability to investigate fully, to take action against individuals or organizations, or to provide the reporter with information about the outcome.
• No reporting route exempts an incident from Clery statistical counting. Statistics are published without names or identifying details.

Bystanders and those who did not participate directly

Planning, encouraging, funding, providing a location for, or knowingly permitting hazing is itself a violation of College policy, as is being present and failing to intervene or report. If you are unsure whether what you witnessed meets the definition of hazing, report it and let the College make that determination.

If you are concerned about a student's wellbeing

SGSC's Campus Awareness, Reporting, and Engagement Team (CARE) reviews behaviors of concern that may affect a student's safety or ability to function, including situations that arise alongside hazing. Reports may be submitted through the online incident report form or to any CARE team member. CARE complements, and does not replace, the reporting routes above or emergency response — call 911 in a life-threatening emergency.

Retaliation is prohibited

South Georgia State College strictly prohibits retaliation against any individual who reports suspected hazing in good faith, participates in a hazing investigation or proceeding, seeks emergency medical assistance for a hazing-related emergency, or provides information or testimony in a hazing case.

Retaliation means any adverse action taken against a person because of their involvement in reporting or addressing hazing, including but not limited to harassment, intimidation, threats, exclusion from activities, academic penalties, or disciplinary action.

Suspected retaliation should be reported immediately using the same reporting mechanisms available for hazing incidents. All retaliation complaints will be promptly investigated and addressed. The College will take appropriate disciplinary action against any individual or organization found responsible for retaliatory behavior.

Amnesty

Information reported by a student in good faith concerning the consumption of drugs or alcohol will not be used against that student in a disciplinary proceeding or voluntarily reported to law enforcement. Students may be provided with resources on drug and alcohol counseling or education, as appropriate. Amnesty extends to students who seek emergency medical assistance for another person during a hazing incident and to students who report hazing in good faith. Amnesty does not extend to individuals or organizations responsible for the hazing itself.

How Reports Are Investigated

Upon receiving a report of hazing, SGSC will:

1. Acknowledge and review. Acknowledge the report and promptly initiate a preliminary review to determine whether the allegations fall under the Hazing Policy.
2. Investigate. Conduct a thorough, impartial, and timely investigation, ensuring the rights of all parties involved. Individuals and organizations are addressed through separate processes and may both be charged arising from the same incident.
3. Coordinate with law enforcement. Collaborate with law enforcement where the conduct may be criminal. The conduct process operates independently of any criminal investigation or prosecution.
4. Provide due process. Provide written notice of the charges, a hearing before the Student Conduct Board, the opportunity to present and respond to information and witnesses, and the right to appeal.
5. Adjudicate and sanction. Determine responsibility using a preponderance of the evidence standard — whether it is more likely than not that a violation occurred — and impose appropriate sanctions based on the severity of the incident.
6. Protect confidentiality. Maintain confidentiality to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct a fair investigation and to meet Clery Act and Georgia disclosure obligations.

Where hazing involves conduct of a sexual nature, the matter is referred to the Title IX Coordinator and addressed under the USG Sexual Misconduct Policy. A single incident may be addressed under both processes. Title IX Coordinator, Carmen James: Thrash Hall, 912.260.4375, titleix@sgsc.edu.

Appeals

Individuals and organizations found responsible may appeal through the procedures in the Student Code of Conduct. An appeal is not a new hearing; it is a review of the original decision on limited grounds.

Grounds for appeal. Except as required to explain the basis of new information, an appeal is limited to a review of the record of the Student Conduct Board hearing and supporting documents, for one or more of the following purposes:

• To determine whether the hearing was conducted fairly in light of the charges and information presented, and in conformity with prescribed procedures, giving the complaining party a reasonable opportunity to prepare and present information that the Student Code was violated and giving the accused student a reasonable opportunity to prepare and present a response. Deviations from designated procedures will not be a basis for sustaining an appeal unless significant prejudice results.
• To determine whether the decision was based on substantial information — whether there were facts in the case that, if believed by the fact finder, were sufficient to establish that a violation occurred.
• To determine whether the sanctions imposed were appropriate for the violation the student was found to have committed.
• To consider new information sufficient to alter the decision, or other relevant facts not brought out in the original hearing, because such information was not known to the person appealing at the time of the original hearing.

Deadline. A decision reached by the Student Conduct Board may be appealed to the Discipline Committee within five school days of the decision. Appeals must be in writing and delivered to the Dean of Students or designee.

Possible outcomes. If the appeal is upheld, the matter is returned to the original Student Conduct Board and Dean of Students to reopen the hearing for reconsideration of the determination, the sanctions, or both. If the appeal is not upheld, the matter is final and binding.

Organizational appeals. A school or student organization may appeal the imposition of any penalty to the President of the College, who reviews the action and may affirm, reverse, or modify it.

Board of Regents review. After the College issues a final decision, a student may apply to the University System Office of Legal Affairs for discretionary review under Board of Regents Policy 6.26, within 20 calendar days following the final institution decision. Review is not a matter of right.

Effect on public reporting. Disclosures on this page use post-appeal dates — the dates on which findings become final. An incident is not published until the College's decision is final, including the exhaustion or expiration of any appeal. Reports of hazing received by Campus Security Authorities are counted in the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report statistics regardless of whether a finding of responsibility is made or upheld.

Sanctions

Individuals found responsible for hazing may face warning, probation, loss of privileges, fines, restitution, discretionary sanctions such as work assignments or service to the College, residence hall suspension or expulsion, College suspension or expulsion, revocation of admission or degree, or withholding of a degree. More than one sanction may be imposed for a single violation.

School and student organizations found responsible may face those sanctions above that apply to groups, loss of selected rights and privileges for a specified period, restriction or withdrawal of allocated student activity monies, restitution, probation of recognized status, suspension of recognized status, deactivation, or withdrawal of recognized status.

Separately from College discipline, hazing may result in criminal charges under Georgia law.

Complete procedures are set out in the SGSC Student Code of Conduct.

Who Is Responsible

Hazing Prevention and Education

South Georgia State College maintains a comprehensive, research-informed hazing prevention and awareness program for students, staff, and faculty on both the Douglas and Waycross campuses. The program addresses the College's hazing policy, how to report hazing, including confidential options, the investigation and due process procedures, the applicable local, state, and federal laws, and the maximum penalties under the Max Gruver Act. Its primary prevention strategies are skill-building for bystander intervention, education in ethical leadership, and strategies for building group cohesion and membership commitment without hazing.

Incoming students are introduced to the Hazing Policy, reporting channels, amnesty protections, and the prohibition on retaliation during New Student Orientation. Online instruction is assigned to students, staff, and faculty through Vector Solutions and supplemented with SGSC-specific content covering the College's reporting procedures, investigation process, and the penalties under Georgia law. Resident Assistants deliver bystander intervention programming each October and March. Student organizations, athletic teams, and residence hall communities may request education sessions from the SGSC Police Department throughout the year, and hazing prevention is addressed at the College's annual Campus Safety Awareness event each fall. In-person, population-specific training is provided to student-athletes, student organization officers, and members.

SGSC documents its prevention and awareness programming, including dates, descriptions, attendance, and the responsible office. The Clery Committee reviews the Hazing Policy annually and evaluates the reach and effectiveness of hazing prevention programming as part of that review. Questions may be directed to the Dean of Students & Housing for Student Success (912.260.4416).

Campus Hazing Transparency Report — Findings

This section combines SGSC's federal Campus Hazing Transparency Report with the public disclosures required by Georgia's Max Gruver Act. Under federal law, the Campus Hazing Transparency Report summarizes findings involving student organizations established or recognized by the College that are found responsible for hazing violations. Georgia law separately requires public disclosure of qualifying hazing adjudications and hazing-related criminal convictions and may reach school organizations beyond those established or recognized by the College. Personally identifiable information about individual students is not published.

Current Status

No reportable hazing violations.

As of August 10, 2026, South Georgia State College has no hazing violations to report. No student or organization has been found responsible for a hazing violation, and the College is aware of no hazing-related criminal convictions involving SGSC students or organizations.

Reporting Periods

What Each Entry Will Include

• The name of the school or student organization involved, as applicable. Individual student names and other personally identifiable student information are not published.
• The date or dates on which the hazing occurred, approximate if the exact date is not known
• The date the investigation was initiated
• The date the investigation ended with a finding of responsibility
• The date the College notified the student or organization that the incident resulted in a hazing violation
• A plain-language description of the violation, including whether it involved the abuse or illegal use of alcohol or drugs
• The specific policy or Student Code of Conduct provisions violated
• Sanctions imposed by the College
• Any related criminal convictions

For purposes of publication, SGSC treats a hazing adjudication as final after the exhaustion or expiration of applicable appeals. The incident, investigation, finding, and notice dates listed above should reflect the dates those events actually occurred; publication occurs after the matter is final.

Privacy and FERPA

This report does not include personally identifiable information about any individual student. All disclosures are made in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g. No FERPA-protected information is included in these public disclosures.

This report also excludes matters that did not result in a finding of responsibility and matters under active investigation until final adjudication.

Update Schedule and Retention

This page is updated within 15 calendar days of any final adjudication of a hazing violation or public notice of a hazing-related criminal conviction as required by Georgia law. SGSC also reviews the page at least twice each year, using January 15 and June 15 as its scheduled institutional review dates. The federal Stop Campus Hazing Act requires the Campus Hazing Transparency Report to be updated at least twice each year when there are reportable findings. Entries remain posted for at least five years. Hazing statistics appear in the College's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report beginning with the report published October 1, 2026.

Updates. Each administrative adjudication of hazing and each hazing-related criminal conviction is published within 15 calendar days of final adjudication or public notice of the conviction. Disclosures are published on that timeline and do not wait for a scheduled review.

Scheduled review dates. January 15 and June 15 of each year. These are SGSC's institutional review dates; federal law requires updates at least twice each year but does not prescribe these specific dates. Reviews are conducted whether or not violations are reported, and the outcome of each review is recorded in the log below.

Retention. Each disclosure remains publicly available for at least 5 years after final adjudication or conviction, and information published in each update is maintained for 5 calendar years from the date of that update.

Responsible office. The SGSC Clery Compliance Coordinator and the Clery Committee maintain this page and oversee compliance with the Clery Act, the Stop Campus Hazing Act, the Max Gruver Act, and Board of Regents Policy 04.06.07. Questions may be directed to clery@sgsc.edu.

Publication and Update Log

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

South Georgia State College publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) each year by October 1, containing campus crime statistics for the three preceding calendar years, fire statistics for on-campus student housing, and the College's campus security and fire safety policies.

Under the Stop Campus Hazing Act, hazing is a separately reported Clery Act crime category. Institutions began collecting hazing statistics under the federal definition on January 1, 2025. Beginning with the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report published October 1, 2026, the ASFSR includes applicable hazing statistics reported to campus security authorities or local law enforcement and counted according to Clery geography, together with the College's statements of hazing policy and hazing prevention programming.

View the SGSC Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

A print copy is available upon request; email clery@sgsc.edu.

How This Report Differs from the Annual Hazing Statistics

The annual hazing statistics in the ASFSR are aggregate counts of hazing incidents reported to campus security authorities or local police within the Clery geography during a calendar year. They include reports regardless of whether an investigation followed or a finding was made, and they name no one.

This page combines the federal Campus Hazing Transparency Report with Georgia-required hazing disclosures. The federal transparency-report component covers findings involving student organizations established or recognized by the College, while Georgia law may require additional qualifying disclosures involving school organizations outside that federal scope. The page identifies organizations as permitted or required by law, describes the conduct, and lists applicable findings, sanctions, adjudications, and convictions without publishing personally identifiable information about individual students. Unlike the annual Clery hazing statistics, these disclosures are not limited by Clery geography; therefore, an incident may appear on this page without appearing in the ASFSR statistics.