Hazing
Penal Code 245.6 — initiation likely to cause serious bodily injury
In California, hazing is any method of initiation or preinitiation into a student organization or student body, recognized by the school or not, that is likely to cause serious bodily injury to a former, current or prospective student. Customary athletic events and school sanctioned events are not hazing.
| The conduct | The grade |
|---|---|
| The conductHazing without serious bodily injury | The gradeMisdemeanor, fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars, up to one year in county jail, or both |
| The conductPersonally hazing that results in death or serious bodily injury | The gradeMisdemeanor or felony |
- The person hazed may sue the participants, and an organization whose agents or officers authorized, took part in or ratified the hazing.
Other crimes committed in the course of hazing are charged under their own sections, and schools keep their own discipline. What a grade means in fines and jail is on this state's charges page. Whether conduct was hazing is a question for a court and for a licensed California attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Penal Code 245.6 — Hazing
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed California attorney.