1.5 million high school students are hazed each year in athletics, bands, and other clubs. In fact, the National Study of Student Hazing found that 55% of students come to college already having experienced hazing. 79% of NCAA athletes report being hazed initially in high school. Even worse is that 92% of the high school students in this study said they would not report hazing, and of these respondents, 59% know of hazing activities, and 21% admit to being involved in hazing. If we provided research-based hazing prevention instruction and ensure its implementation as required by this bill, all students would learn what hazing is, examples of hazing, how to report hazing, how to intervene, and the laws against it. Through this bill we can provide them with the knowledge they need to end this toxic tradition and restore the health and safety of our students. There were 40 boys at the house where my cousin, Adam Oakes, was hazed. If anyone of them had been provided this education, it may not have ended in the tragedy it did. Please help us ensure no other student in Virginia goes through what Adam did. Please support SB379. Thank you!

Hello I am Eric Oakes the father of Adam Oakes a hazing victim at Virginia Commonwealth University in February 2021. I appreciate the opportunity to provide comments today in support of SB379 & HB719. Our entire family appreciates Senator Boysko and Delegate Reaser for patroning the bill. We would also like to thank all of the co-patrons and the supporters who voted in favor of passing this bipartisan bill. I feel strongly if Adam had received the proper research based Hazing Prevention education he would still be alive today. There were 11 young men indicted in Adam's death who were all products of the Virginia Public School system. I will double down on my previous statement and say I feel confident that had those 11 young men received the proper research based Hazing Prevention education in Virginia's public school system at least one of them would have called 911 for help that night and Adam would be alive today. Or possibly one of them would have used a technique called the 3D's - to distract, deflect or direct the bad behavior away from the person. Or maybe they would not have even put Adam or the other pledges from that night in harm's way. Over the past 2 years we have traveled all over the state of Virginia and we are horrified by the stories we have heard about students hazing each other. Thousands of students in Virginia are being hazed in athletics, clubs, band as well as fraternities and sororities. We have heard of sororities water boarding their pledges. That is a form of torture that's been outlawed by our government. When did we lose our moral compass and value of human dignity? The mental toll this puts on a person is something they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. It's our job to help protect the students by providing them with a proper education about the dangers of hazing and teach them skills to help them get out of bad situations. Thank you for your time.