The Board of Education believes that hazing activities of any type are inconsistent with the educational process and prohibits all such activities at any time in school facilities, on school property, and/or at school functions off school property. No administrator, faculty member, or other Board employee shall encourage, permit, condone, or tolerate any hazing activities. No student shall plan, encourage, or engage, in any hazing.

Hazing shall be defined for purposes of this policy as performing any act or coercing or encouraging another, including the victim, to perform any act of initiation into any class, team, or organization which act, coercion or encouragement recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of another person or persons or which causes or creates a substantial risk of destruction or removal of public or private property. Permission, consent, or assumption of risk by an individual subjected to hazing shall not lessen the prohibitions contained in this policy.

Administrators, faculty members, and other employees of the Board shall be alert to possible situations, circumstances, or events which might include hazing. If hazing or planned hazing is discovered, the students involved shall be informed by the discoverer of the prohibitions contained in this policy and shall be ordered to end all hazing activities or planned activities immediately. All hazing incidents shall be reported immediately to the Superintendent. Students, administrators, faculty members, and other employees who fail to abide by this policy may be subject to disciplinary action and may be held personally liable for civil and criminal penalties in accordance with law.

The Superintendent shall distribute this policy to all students and Board employees, and shall incorporate it into building, staff, and student handbooks. It shall also be the subject of discussion at employee staff meetings or staff development programs.

West Virginia Department of Education Policy 4373.