U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have joined Representatives Lucy McBath (D-GA-06) and Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA-15) to introduce a bipartisan resolution that designates September 22–26, 2025 as “National Hazing Awareness Week.”
Senator Cassidy’s advocacy against hazing began after the death of Max Gruver, a Louisiana State University student who died during a fraternity event in 2017. His efforts led to the passage of the Stop Campus Hazing Act, which became the first national anti-hazing law in U.S. history.
"Hazing is unequivocally wrong. It causes physical and emotional damage to students who simply want to be accepted," said Dr. Cassidy. "Thanks to the tireless work of the Gruver family and other advocates, we passed the Stop Campus Hazing Act last Congress to increase accountability and protect students from harm. With this new law, we ensure hazing is never ignored.”
Senator Klobuchar stated: “When parents send their kids away to college, they expect they will get a good education and make new friends. Unfortunately, too many are also exposed to hazing, a dangerous—and at times deadly—problem. With this resolution, we honor the students who have died or been severely injured due to hazing and promote preventive efforts, at the same time that improve hazing reporting and prevention on college campuses with our bipartisan Stop Campus Hazing Act."
Representative McBath added: “I know what it's like to lose a loved one to violence, and no parent should ever have to bury their child. I have been honored to work with families and advocates to pass legislation to end campus hazing. I’m glad to lead efforts once again to spread awareness about the pain of these incidents. I thank my colleagues for their continued commitment to protecting our students.”
Representative Thompson commented: “Hazing is simply not an acceptable behavior. It can lead to great bodily harm, even death, leaving families struggling with the loss of their loved one, changing the trajectory of their lives forever. No family should ever have to experience the loss of a child due to hazing. I am proud to introduce this resolution with Congresswoman McBath to bring awareness, accountability, and transparency to help protect students nationwide from hazing.”
The full text of the resolution is available online.
