Hazing
Fla. Stat. 1006.63 — a first degree misdemeanor, or a third degree felony on serious injury or death
In Florida, hazing is any action or situation that recklessly or intentionally endangers a student's mental or physical health or safety for initiation, admission, affiliation or a tradition of an organization operating under a postsecondary institution, including pressure to break the law, physical brutality, forced consumption, and extreme mental stress such as sleep deprivation.
| The conduct | The grade |
|---|---|
| The conductHazing that creates a substantial risk of physical injury or death | The gradeFirst degree misdemeanor |
| The conductHazing that results in permanent injury, serious bodily injury or death | The gradeThird degree felony |
- The court orders a 4-hour hazing education course as a condition of the sentence.
- Consent is not a defense, and neither is that the act was not an official event or not a condition of membership.
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 Florida attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Fla. Stat. 1006.63 — Hazing prohibited
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Florida attorney.