Northampton Community College (NCC) is first and foremost an educational institution, and the health and safety of our faculty, staff and students is paramount. NCC does not tolerate Hazing in any form and is prohibited for any college recognized or sanctioned student organization, student, or other person associated with an organization operating under the sanction of or recognized by Northampton Community College. Organizations or individuals found responsible for hazing under this Policy, whether occurring on or off campus, may be subject to disciplinary action by the college, and also may face criminal charges under applicable law, including Pennsylvania’s Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.
View NCC’s Full Anti-Hazing Policy
NCC encourages all members of the community who believe that they have witnessed, experienced, or are aware of conduct that constitutes hazing in violation of this Policy to report the violation:
FILE A REPORT ABOUT HAZING HERE:
NCC’s Campus Hazing Transparency Report will be updated not less than two times each year for the period beginning on the date on which the transparency report was last published and ending on the date on which such update is submitted. The transparency report can be found here: Hazing Transparency Report
Hazing statistics will be published annually, starting on October 1st, 2026, in the Annual Security and Fire Report, which can be found here: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
Hazing Laws
Federal Stop Campus Hazing Act (H.R. 5646)
In December of 2024, President Biden signed the Stop Campus Hazing Act into law. The law represents a significant step in national efforts to prevent hazing by improving hazing reporting and prevention efforts on college campuses. This law requires all higher education institutions to implement more transparency in a Campus Hazing Transparency Report and prioritize prevention efforts campus wide.
The Stop Campus Hazing Act amends section 485(f) of the Higher Education Act, otherwise known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) to include the following:
- Beginning January 2025, hazing reports received by a Campus Security Authority will be collected for inclusion in the annual crime statistics
- October 1, 2025 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report will have more information on policy regarding Hazing at NCC
- October 1, 2026 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report will have 2025 hazing statistics available
- Campus Hazing Transparency Report will be posted on the institution’s website and will be updated at a minimum twice a year
- Research-informed hazing awareness and prevention programs are provided campus-wide
The full text of the law can be found here: Stop Campus Hazing Act
Pennsylvania Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law (18 Pa. C.S. §2801)
On October 19, 2018, Pa. Governor Tom Wolf signed into law the Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law, which amended Pennsylvania’s existing Antihazing Law, increasing the penalties for individuals or organizations who engage in hazing and requiring additional reporting by colleges and universities. Highlights of the law include:
- The creation of tiers for Hazing offenses
- The creation of a definition for Organizational Hazing
- The creation of a definition for Institutional Hazing
- Requiring institutions to:
- adopt a written policy against hazing and rules prohibiting students or others associate with a sanctioned organization from engaging in hazing, and make it publicly available on the institutions website
- Have a program for enforcing the policy and penalties for violations
- Maintain a report of all violations of the institutions of the policy
- Establish safe-harbor criteria that will protect someone from prosecution for involvement in a hazing incident if they are seeking assistance for someone in need of help
The full text of the law can be found here: Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law
