Hazing
ORS 163.197 — a violation for the member and the organization, and consent is no defense
A student organization, or a member of one, commits hazing by intentionally hazing a member, potential member or pledge as a condition of joining or of gaining an office or status in the organization. Student organizations include fraternities, sororities and athletic teams at colleges, universities and elementary and secondary schools, and members include volunteers, coaches and faculty advisers.
- Whipping, beating, striking, branding or electronic shocking, or placing a harmful substance on the body.
- Sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space or similar risk to health and safety.
- Compelling someone to consume food, liquid, alcohol, cannabis or drugs that put them at unreasonable risk.
- Requiring a task that involves committing a crime or an act of hazing.
Consent is no defense. That the person hazed agreed to it is not a defense. An organization that hazes commits a Class A violation, and a member who personally hazes commits a Class B violation.
Conduct that is also an assault or another crime can be charged as that crime, and schools have their own policies; neither is on this page. Whether a particular ritual is hazing is a question for a licensed Oregon attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- ORS 163.197 — Hazing
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Oregon attorney.