Block that hazing

Set a higher standard for school sports teams

As middle school and high school football teams anticipate the fall season, they should be aware of an important rule change. It comes not from the sport’s governing body but from the Legislature and Gov. Tom Wolf, who have taken an important stand against hazing in scholastic athletic programs.

Under a bill sponsored by Rep. Ron Marsico, R-Dauphin County, all middle and high schools are required to adopt policies against hazing by students or others involved in athletic programs. These policies are to be distributed to coaches and posted on school websites. The policies must include provisions for enforcement, such as fines, expulsion or the withholding of diplomas. The policies are to cover hazing that occurs on or off school property.

But there’s more. Students or anyone else involved in hazing face criminal charges, and programs that turn a blind eye to the practice can be shut down. While police and school districts always have had latitude in such matters, the new law adds muscle to the fight against a dehumanizing and stupid practice. If common sense and compassion fail to deter hazers, the threat of expulsion or putting a cherished program at risk might do the trick.

While high-profile incidents of hazing generate headlines every few years — remember the appalling case of the Highlands High School soccer player with autism who was duct-taped to a goal post two years ago — one suspects that the practice is much more common. Now is the time to stamp it out.

Schools should liberally publicize their new policies. Student athletes should be made to sign a verification that they have read and understand the rules — and the implications for flouting them. At the season’s first practice, coaches should disavow hazing and tell younger players how to go about reporting violations.

Despite the excuses sometimes offered, hazing is not a way to building solidarity or camaraderie among young people. It’s a way to exploit the weaker members of the group. Student athletes — often the leaders in a school — should set a higher standard.