Hazing-law change

House lawmakers voted overwhelming Wednesday against adding faculty and staff into the state’s anti-hazing law.

Rep. Mark Lowery, R-Maumelle, said hazing is being done by faculty at schools in Arkansas and they should be held accountable in the same way that students, fraternity members and alumni are in the law.

Lowery gave the example of “privilege walks” — an exercise in which students are separated based on their answers to questions about their backgrounds — as well as football coaches singling out athletes for extra laps.

Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, R-Hermitage, said the bill would make it harder for colleges and universities to recruit staff, saying “hazing was always designed to criminalize student-on-student actions.”

The bill failed on a vote of 58-16, falling 35 votes short of approval.