Family presses for bill to abolish hazing

OLYMPIA — Washington State University freshman Sam Martinez was found dead from alcohol poisoning following a fraternity house hazing tradition just weeks into the 2019 school year.

His mother is pressing for rules that would prevent future tragedies. She said her goal, since her son’s death, has been to “try and save a life for the one that was taken from us two years ago.”

Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-Tacoma, said approximately 100 deaths associated with hazing occurred in the U.S since 2000.

Washington established legislation prohibiting hazing in higher education in 1993, and currently only 44 out of 50 states have hazing-related laws.

A new state bill would require University of Washington (UW) to prohibit hazing on and off campus, to provide an educational program on hazing and include UW’s anti-hazing policy in institutional materials on student rights and responsibilities.

It requires institutions of higher education to maintain and publicly report violations of codes of conduct, anti-hazing policies, or state and federal laws relating to hazing offenses related to alcohol, drugs, sexual assault, or physical assault.

Schools would also need to provide hazing prevention education to every employee, including student employees and volunteers and would require fraternities and sororities to notify their institution of higher education when an investigation of suspected hazing is instigated.

The cost will be significant, according to the bill’s fiscal note. In the first two years, the cost to the state will be about $1 million. It increases to almost $1.6 million by the 2025.

“Prevention, education, reduction, transparency, accountability that’s what’s before you today,” Leavitt said.

He noted 55% of students report hazing as a result of participating in clubs, organizations, and athletics on campus.

“All the parents like me, first generation of immigrants to this country, who don’t have any experience with fraternities or the Greek system … I am here for them today,” said Hector Martinez, Sam Martinez’s father.

As hard as it is for any parent to understand the risks associated with hazing, immigrants face additional language and cultural barriers.

Kathleen Wiant lost her son Collin in 2019 to hazing.

For her this bill is about changing a culture where hazing is acceptable. She said she believes “reprehensible acts like beating and waterboarding are dressed up with words like tradition, and ritual and brotherhood, and a right of passage… We need to call it what it really is. It’s abuse and it’s barbaric.”

William Carlson said Sam Martinez was his best friend since the fourth-grade.

“This bill can give all those people a chance of living a complete life and not have their friends or children be a breaking news story,” Carlson, said.