March 19, 2021
McBath, Lowenthal Introduce Bicameral, Bipartisan Legislation to Address Hazing on College Campuses
Washington, DC — Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Marietta) led legislation this week with Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) to address hazing on college campuses. The Report and Educate About Campus Hazing (REACH) Act would require hazing incidents to be reported as part of a college’s annual crime report and establish a definition of hazing to clarify what constitutes a reportable offense. The legislation would also require institutions to establish a campus-wide, research-based program to educate students about the dangers of hazing. Since 2000, there have been more than 50 hazing-related deaths on America’s college campuses.
Bipartisan companion legislation was introduced by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Bob Casey (D-PA).
“The impacts of hazing on young people across our country are heartbreaking and unacceptable, and we have a duty to ensure that schools are a safe environment for our students,” said McBath. ”By setting national standards for anti-hazing programs, we can protect the health and safety of our students and ensure they learn and live in a positive, secure environment.”
“As a father, grandfather, and former professor, the wellbeing of students has always one of my top priorities. I am proud to work with Congresswoman McBath and Senator Klobuchar on this important legislation. The REACH Act would most importantly add hazing to the list of campus offenses that are disclosed in a higher education institution’s Annual Security Report. Hazing is a serious crime, and full transparency of these incidences should be made available to parents and students. The Clery Act currently does not list hazing as a reportable offense, but the REACH Act would close this loophole. My heart goes out to the families that have suffered from incidences of hazing. It is time that we take this important step to protect our students,” said Lowenthal.
“Hazing is a dangerous—and at times deadly—problem on college campuses, and we must work to end it,” said Klobuchar. ”This legislation will require colleges and universities to include hazing as part of their annual crime reports, giving us a comprehensive and accurate understanding of hazing so we can create effective measures to address it.”
“Education and accountability are required to end hazing. The REACH act does,” said Cassidy. ”This keeps students safer which increases parents peace of mind.”
“We have a collective responsibility to protect and support Ohio students – that means addressing the hazing that pervades college campuses,” said Brown. “Hazing should never be taken lightly and cannot be tolerated. By helping to lay the groundwork for students and educators to identify and report hazing, we can provide important tools to prevent this abuse in the first place.”
“Every year, hundreds of students are hurt or killed by hazing on college campuses, yet information and data of these acts often goes unreported,” said Casey. “The Report and Educate About Campus Hazing (REACH) Act would ensure hazing is appropriately reported as crimes and that students are educated on the dangers of hazing. I also want to express my sincere condolences to the Piazza and Braham families—who lost their college-age children to hazing—and thank them for their tireless advocacy to stop hazing and prevent other families from losing their loved ones to these horrific acts.”
“Federal legislation to address hazing is long overdue, and while we wait, lives continue to be lost. The REACH Act will help institutionalize hazing prevention and will standardize how hazing is defined, tracked, and responded to across colleges and universities,” said Jessica Mertz, Executive Director of the Clery Center.
“Passage of the REACH Act will help campus leaders send a strong and clear message that student health, safety, and well-being are vital to achieving the goals of postsecondary education,” said Dr. Elizabeth Allan, Professor of Higher Education at the University of Maine, Principal of StopHazing, and Director of the Hazing Prevention Consortium.
“On March 30, 2007 (almost exactly 14 years ago) our oldest son Gary DeVercelly, Jr. died from a fraternity hazing ritual during Big/Little night at the age of 18. Since his death, the number of identified hazing deaths has escalated at an alarming rate. This year alone we have seen three hazing deaths in the span of one week. We see the reintroduction of the REACH Act as a giant step forward in our battle to eradicate hazing. By requiring accountability, transparency, and education this bill will transform the hazing culture. We know the REACH Act will save lives and make campuses safer. Had this bill been in effect when Gary Jr. went to college, he’d be alive today,” said Gary and Julie DeVercelly, parents of Gary DeVercelly, Jr. (09/04/1988 – 03/30/2007).
Learn more about Clery Center’s hazing prevention and education resources and about the REACH Act here: https://clerycenter.org/hazing/
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REACH Act Coalition Drives Federal Anti-Hazing Legislation
Parents of hazing victims and campus safety professionals from Clery Center, StopHazing, and SAFE Campuses, LLC, supporting the REACH Act with House sponsor Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA 6th) on Capitol Hill July 27, 2022.
WASHINGTON, DC (September 6, 2022) Clery Center, StopHazing, SAFE Campuses LLC, ZeroNow, and 34 additional national campus safety organizations are supporting the adoption of the Report and Educate About Campus Hazing (REACH) Act, H.R. 2525 / S. 744, which would require hazing incidents to be reported as part of a college’s annual crime statistics and establish a comprehensive hazing prevention education program. The bipartisan, bicameral legislation is being led in the Senate by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and in the House by Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA) and Representative Jeff Duncan (R-SC).
Parents and advocates travelled to Capitol Hill in July to share personal stories of hazing and to highlight the urgent need for federal legislation. Among those who met with lawmakers were Julie and Gary DeVercelly, Sr., parents of Gary Jr., who was killed in a fraternity hazing ritual in 2007; Cindy Hipps, mother of Tucker, killed in 2014, Kim and TJ Burch, parents of Nolan, killed in 2014, Marie André, mother of George Desdunes, killed in 2011, and Eric and Linda Oakes, parents of Adam, killed in 2021.
“We believe hazing can be prevented,” said the DeVercellys. “The more time passes before legislation is enacted, the more likely it is that students will be emotionally and physically harmed or killed by these senseless acts. Congress must move quickly to save lives.”
The DeVercellys sit on the board of the nonprofit Clery Center and have dedicated their lives to the prevention of hazing since the death of their son. Their goal is to ensure that no other parent has to experience the unbearable—and preventable—loss of a child to hazing.
Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Susan Collins (R-ME) joined as co-sponsors of the Act after meeting with the group of parents and advocates. Also co-sponsoring are Virginia Democratic Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, who were galvanized by last year’s tragic hazing death of Virginia Commonwealth University student Adam Oakes and cited the importance of transparency and accountability in hazing incidents. A full list of co-sponsors in the Senate and co-sponsors in the House of Representatives can be found in the links above.
The REACH Act currently sits with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the House Committee on Education and Labor. Heartened by the broad support of the bill from both sides of the aisle, the REACH Act coalition will head back to the Hill the week of September 19. Those unable to call on their representatives in person should keep in mind that politicians have a vested interest in listening to the voters who elect them. Those who want to stop the harmful consequences of hazing that occur far too often on our college campuses can make a difference by emailing their Senators and Representatives today and urging them to pass the REACH Act now.
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August 02, 2021
Announcing our new Board of Directors Chairperson, Sheilah D. Vance, Esq.
Clery Center is excited to announce that Sheilah D. Vance, Esquire, has become the newest chairperson of our board of directors. Sheilah is an attorney with a primary focus in education law, an affiliated consultant for TNG Consulting, an adjunct professor at Villanova University School of Law, and a published author. She lives in Washington, DC, and is also a member of the Advisory Board of ATIXA (Association of Title IX Administrators) and co-chair of the Education Law Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association. “We are grateful to Roger Carolin, the outgoing chair, for his dedication and commitment to the Center and excited for what the future holds under Sheilah’s leadership. Sheilah brings a wealth of knowledge in nonprofit management, higher education, and Title IX, which will be invaluable to Clery Center as we continue to advance our mission,” said Jessica Mertz, executive director.
“As Board Chair, I look forward to working with the Center’s dedicated staff and other board members to enhance our role as experts and advisors in Clery Act compliance, to build new partnerships with other organizations that are working on campus safety, and to secure passage of the groundbreaking REACH Act to end hazing at our colleges and universities,” said Sheilah. “It is an honor to work with the Clery family and the other Board members who do this important work in memory of Jeanne Clery.”
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December 07, 2021
Announcing new board members Pearl Kim & Beth Riley
Clery Center is very pleased to announce two new members to our board of directors, Pearl Kim and Beth Riley.
Pearl Kim
Pearl Kim was formerly appointed to the Pennsylvania’s Office of Attorney General as a Senior Deputy Attorney General. She served in the Executive Office as part of the senior management team and led the College Campus Safety Initiative across Pennsylvania. Formerly an Assistant District Attorney in the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, Pearl was Chief of the Human Trafficking Unit in the Special Victims and Domestic Violence Division. As a special victims unit prosecutor, she handled Protection From Abuse matters, child physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, rape, human trafficking, and Internet Crimes Against Children cases.
Pearl served on the Joint State Government Commission’s Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking and reported back to the PA Senate any recommendations for changes in state law, policies, and procedures and ultimately secured the first trafficking of persons conviction under Pennsylvania’s trafficking statute.
Governor Corbett and Governor Wolf appointed Pearl to the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian American Affairs, and she currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania. The Legal Intelligencer has recognized her as one of the 2011 Lawyers on the Fast Track, as one of the 2011 Diverse Attorneys of the Year, and as one of the 2012 Women of the Year. The American Bar Association awarded Pearl the Norm Maleng Minister of Justice Award for her efforts as a special victims prosecutor, and she was the recipient of the Government Attorney of the Year Award by the Pennsylvania Bar Association in 2015. Pearl obtained her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law where she was the recipient of the Villanova Achievement Scholarship and received her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College.
Beth Riley, M.D.
Dr. Beth Riley is a gynecologist in Portland, Oregon who has devoted her professional life to improving the health of women and families. She grew up in Pennsylvania, and was a close friend and tennis teammate of Jeanne Clery. After earning a B.A. from Harvard and M.D. from Stanford, Dr. Riley completed her OB/GYN residency at University of California San Diego. She has served as medical director of her group practice, served on multiple hospital committees, and volunteered at Outside In Clinic, caring for homeless and uninsured individuals. She has worked on several projects with Harvard Business School Association of Oregon, providing pro bono consulting services to local nonprofits. Beth is married, with two children in college.
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