Hazing
Va. Code 18.2-56 — hazing that causes bodily injury is a Class 1 misdemeanor
In Virginia, it is unlawful to haze any student at any school or institution of higher education so as to cause bodily injury. Hazing means recklessly or intentionally endangering a student's health or safety, or inflicting bodily injury, in connection with initiation, admission, affiliation or continued membership in a club or organization, whether or not the student took part voluntarily.
| The conduct | The grade |
|---|---|
| The conductHazing so as to cause bodily injury | The gradeClass 1 misdemeanor |
- A person injured by hazing may sue those guilty of it.
- The head of a state funded school reports hazing that causes bodily injury to the attorney for the Commonwealth.
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 Virginia attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Va. Code 18.2-56 — Hazing unlawful; civil and criminal liability
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Virginia attorney.