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Messiah University
Messiah University

Hazing Report & Information

Messiah University "Anti-Hazing" Statement

Messiah University and Pennsylvania Law prohibit hazing in any form. Hazing is defined by the Pennsylvania Hazing Law as "any action or situation which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student or which willfully destroys or removes public or private property for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in, any organization operating under the sanction of or recognized as an organization by an institution of higher education. The term shall include, but not be limited to, any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug or other substance, or any other forced physical activity which could adversely affect the physical health and safety of the individual, and shall include any activity which would subject the individual to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contact, forced conduct which could result in extreme embarrassment, or any other forced activity which could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the individual, or any willful destruction or removal of public or private property. For purposes of this definition, any activity as described in this definition upon which the initiation or admission into or affiliation with or continued membership in an organization is directly or indirectly conditioned shall be presumed to be "forced" activity, the willingness of an individual to participate in such activity notwithstanding."

For more information on the University's "Anti-Hazing" statement, see: Student Handbook

 View Messiah's Hazing Policy 

Messiah University

Campus Hazing Transparency Report

Time Period Covered: 2019 - 2025

This report is published in accordance with ACT 80 of 2018, the Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law, 18 Pa.C.S. & 2809 et seq.
Update.--An institution shall update the report biannually on January 1 and August 1 and shall post the updated report on its publicly accessible Internet website.
Duration.--An institution shall retain reports for five years.

DATE CHARGED DATE RESOLVED DESCRIPTION SANCTIONS/PENALTIES
10/7/2025 11/3/2025*
(*Date the organization was notified of the findings: November 5, 2025)

Name of organization: Men’s Lacrosse Team
Date of report(s): September 17, 2025 and September 19, 2025
Date of incident in question: September 13, 2025
Date investigation was initiated: September 23, 2025
Date organization was charged: October 7, 2025 (the delay in charging the organization was impacted by complainants’ requests)
Date of finding: November 3, 2025
Date the organization was notified of the findings: November 5, 2025
Alcohol or drugs: None.
General description of violation:
Three (3) anonymous individuals disclosed first-hand experiences to University officials that contained violations of the University’s Hazing Policy. Investigators determined that upperclassmen on the men’s lacrosse team led a tradition known as “hot seat” for first-year (and transfer) student athletes in the program. Held off-campus, the event included secrecy, isolation of first year (and transfer) student athletes, and questioning of first year (and transfer) student athletes who were instructed to sit on a bowling pin before answering questions posed by a group of nude upper-class student athletes. Conduct and question content were inappropriate and inconsistent with Messiah Athletics’ and the University’s ethos and code of conduct; conduct did not include violence, assault, or substance use. Two (2) part-time employees had significant knowledge of the event and did not prevent the event from taking place.

Sanctions include: the termination of two (2) part-time employees; interim suspensions from team activities of upper-class student athletes who planned, permitted, and /or participated in the event (with requirements for possible return to the team in the 2026 Spring season); and a hiatus for all team-related overnight travel outside of NCAA qualification for two (2) years.

Individual suspensions from team activities are currently subject to the University appeal process.

In addition, remedies were assigned that include further hazing education on risk factors and the range of harm that constitutes hazing for both coaching staff and student athletes. The team is tasked to identify a new tradition to replace the “hot seat” event.
12/20/2024 3/1/2025 The University received a report (on or about October 14, 2024) from an anonymous student athlete on the men's soccer team alleging that members of the coaching staff of the men's soccer program knew about and did not appropriately prevent, report, or address incidents of hazing on August 20, 2021 that included a game of kickball during which the participants removed their clothing and played naked and were subsequently chased by program alumni pretending to be University safety officers. The University investigation was initiated on December 12, 2024. At the request of the complainant, the investigation was held until after the season ended. The University investigation identified that one incident of alleged hazing (as previously described) did occur on August 20, 2021. The investigation also determined that a member of the coaching staff of the men's soccer program was aware of elements of this incident and did address the incident but failed to appropriately prevent and report the incident. Sanctions include; a coaching suspension for the remainder of the Spring semester of 2025, following the conclusion of the investigation, ending May 15, 2025; the suspension of an alumnus from a coaching or volunteer relationship with the team for the summer of 2025, and the men's soccer program will sponsor department-wide professional development and programming related to positive team culture cultivation and hazing prevention.
1/1/2024 - 7/31/2024 - No incidents related to hazing reported at this time.
8/1/2023 - 1/1/2023 - No incidents related to hazing reported at this time.
1/1/2023 - 7/31/2023 - No incidents related to hazing reported at this time.
8/1/2022 - 12/31/2022 - No incidents related to hazing reported at this time.
1/1/2022 - 7/31/2022 - No incidents related to hazing reported at this time.
8/1/2021 - 7/31/2021 - No incidents related to hazing reported at this time.
1/1/2021 - 7/31/2021 - No incidents related to hazing reported at this time.
8/1/2020 - 12/31/2020 - No incidents related to hazing reported at this time.
1/1/2020 - 7/31/2020 -
2/25/2020 2/26/2020 The University received a report from an employee on behalf of student athletes on the swim team; the employee was told that during recruiting weekend for swimmers (this took place at the end of October or beginning of November, 2019) the Messiah University swim team organized a campus-wide scavenger hunt where prospective students were divided amount groups of current student athletes to complete tasks around campus. One of the tasks for prospective students to complete was to kiss a stranger on campus. One of the prospective students was "made to" complete this task by their group. This seemed to indicate that the prospective student did not wish to kiss a stranger but was pressured to do so by current student athletes. University officials met with the swim team. The University created an action plan to address the concerns.
8/1/2019 - 12/31/2019 - No incidents related to hazing reported at this time.
1/1/2019 -7/31/2019 - No incidents related to hazing reported at this time.