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The South Kingstown School Department is committed to maintaining a safe, positive environment for students and staff that is free from hazing. Hazing activities of any type are inconsistent with the educational goals of the district and are prohibited at all.

Hazing is not acceptable in any form as defined by Rhode Island law. Any student who Willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person, including a teammate or like member of any other school activity, will be suspended from that team or activity for the remainder of the year and reported to the police department.

(a) Any organizer of, or participant in, an activity constituting hazing as defined in subsection (b), shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500) or punished by imprisonment for not less than thirty (30) days nor more than one year, or both.

(b) The term "hazing" as used in this chapter shall mean any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which will fully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person. Such conduct shall include, but not be limited to whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather, forced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance, or any brutal treatment or forced physical activity which is likely to adversely affect the physical health or safety of the student or any other person, or which subjects the student or other person to extreme mental stress, including extended deprivation of sleep or rest or extended isolation.

Every person, being a teacher, superintendent, commandant or other person in charge of any public, private, parochial, or military school, college or other educational institution, who shall knowingly permit any activity constituting hazing, as defined in 11_21_1 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not less than ten dollars ($10.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100.00).

(c) Delegation of Responsibility: Building administrators shall investigate promptly all complaints of hazing and administer appropriate discipline to any individual who violates this policy.

1. When a student believes that s/he has been subject to hazing, the student shall promptly report the incident, orally or in writing, to the building principal.

3. The principal shall prepare a written report summarizing the investigation and recommending disposition of the complaint. Copies of the report shall be provided to the complainant, the accused and others directly involved, as appropriate.

4. If the investigation results in a substantiated finding of hazing, the principal shall recommend appropriate disciplinary action, as circumstances warrant, in accordance with the law. Additionally, the student may be subject to disciplinary action by the coach or sponsor, up to and including removal from the activity.