Since a federal law passed in 2024 to require mandatory hazing reports, the University of Missouri has investigated four incidents, including one during the 2025-2026 school year.
In the most recent incident, reported in February, an investigation found that new members of Phi Delta Theta had to throw food at one another and clean it up. They were also blindfolded, directed to stand on an elevated surface and then told to drop a glass bottle and jump, landing on a mattress.
No one was hurt, and alcohol was not present, but the investigation found the incident could reasonably have caused psychological pressure.
The fraternity was put on disciplinary probation until February 2027, in addition to required hazing prevention education and coaching.
Other reported incidents
Three additional incidents since passage of the law include these:
• A September 2024 report alleged that new members of the Kappa Alpha Order were given boxed wine to drink in the attic of the fraternity house while watching a movie, but no proof was found that they were required to drink it.
The matter was resolved with risk management education, alcohol prohibition for six months and any conditions imposed by the national organization.
• Another September 2024 report alleged that new members of Beta Sigma Psi were subjected to humiliation, physically demanding tasks, degrading activities, acts of servitude, restricted access to parts of the chapter house, enforced dress codes and the carrying of “pledge packs.”
An investigation found that much of this behavior was confirmed, and a resolution was negotiated with requirements for hazing prevention education, meetings with university administrative staff and a leadership change.
• In February 2025, it was alleged that new members of Delta Tau Delta were given or encouraged to consume alcohol, forced to sit in alcoholic beverages and subjected to derogatory and abusive behaviors.
No evidence was found of any forced activities, although derogatory and graphic messages were sent to the group and later deleted during the investigation. The chapter acknowledged that they were inappropriate.
As a resolution, meetings about hazing prevention and other issues were required, as well as a national organization chapter development plan.
The anti-hazing law
Since the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act passed two years ago, Mizzou has increased its efforts to curb hazing on campus.
The act requires all universities with federal aid for students to publicly report incidents of hazing and publish those reports.
Institutions must also develop a comprehensive program to prevent hazing and distribute any policy statements about the program.
How the number of recent reports compare to previous years is difficult to determine because the regulations have changed, said Travis Zimpfer, a spokesperson for the University.
“A one-to-one comparison of hazing at the University of Missouri pre- and post-SCHA is challenging because the University of Missouri System amended its collected rules and regulations related to student conduct and hazing at roughly the same time that the act took effect,” he said.
Mizzou currently defines hazing as “any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed (whether individually or in concert) against another person or persons regardless of the willingness of such other person or persons to participate,” and specifies that it must be apart of an organization or group on campus.
Danny’s Law
Last year, the Missouri General Assembly passed Danny’s Law, which guarantees immunity from prosecution to 911 callers in the event of a hazing.
The bill is named after Danny Santulli, who suffered permanent brain damage after a hazing incident at Mizzou’s Phi Gamma Delta fraternity in 2021.
In addition to compliance with the Stop Hazing Act, the university has stepped up efforts to make students more aware of the need to recognize and report hazing behavior.
A full-time position at the campus’ Wellness Resource Center is now dedicated to harm-reduction efforts, including hazing prevention strategies.
“We have partnered with outside entities such as the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research, the Gordie Center and the Hazing Prevention Consortium to offer research-driven hazing awareness and prevention programs and training to our campus community,” Zimpfer said.
This year, 72% of fraternity and sorority members completed Hazing Prevention 101, a required training module at MU.
According to StopHazing, a national organization dedicated to hazing prevention and education, the federal law doesn’t necessarily paint the total picture of hazing on campuses.
The Stop Campus Hazing Act doesn’t include penalities, for example. Instead, it focuses on consumer protection and providing information.
“Only reports of hazing found in violation are the ones that have to be included in this reports,” said Meredith Stewart, the operations manager at StopHazing, a national organization that played a key role in the federal legislation.
