Hazing
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 578.365 — Danny's Law, and immunity for the first to call 911
In Missouri, a person commits hazing by knowingly and actively participating in, soliciting, causing or planning a willful act, on or off campus, against a student or a prospective, current or former member of a college organization, that recklessly endangers their mental or physical health or safety for initiation, admission or continued membership.
| The conduct | The grade |
|---|---|
| The conductHazing | The gradeClass A misdemeanor |
| The conductHazing that creates a substantial risk to life | The gradeClass D felony |
The first caller, and anyone who gives aid, is protected. A person is not guilty of hazing who was the first to call 911 or campus security for someone who appeared to need immediate medical help, gave their name, the address and the medical issue, and stayed and cooperated until help arrived. A person who gave aid in good faith before help arrived, such as CPR, is immune from prosecution.
- Consent is not a defense.
- Colleges and universities adopt written policies prohibiting 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 Missouri attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 578.365 — Hazing
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Missouri attorney.