Dear Students

Purpose

Earlier this year, the Washington State Legislature passed a new bill, called “Sam’s Law”. It is anti-hazing legislation that requires colleges to take specific actions to implement anti-hazing programming, and increase transparency about hazing incidents on campuses. This includes training for students and employees, creating an anti-hazing policy, and updating the Student Conduct Code to include more specific definitions of hazing, as well as updated sanctions for students found responsible for hazing. Colleges must report on their website any incidences of hazing. Colleges must also convene a Hazing Prevention Committee.

How did this new law come about?

Picture of Sam Martinez on sunny days with fall leaves in the background

Sam Martinez, a 19 year old freshman at Washington State University, tragically died of alcohol poisoning during a hazing incident at a fraternity party in November of 2019. His parents worked with state legislators to draft House Bill 1751, Hazing Prevention, as a way to hold colleges accountable to preventing future hazing incidents.

You can learn more here from an interview with Sam’s parents, on the television program 60 Minutes: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anti-hazing-sams-law-washington-60-minutes-2022-04-03/

Our ask of you: Hazing Prevention Committee

Colleges are required to establish a Hazing Prevention Committee. The committee membership must include at least 6 people and be 50% students. It must also include a parent or legal guardian of a currently enrolled student.

Would you be interested in serving on this committee? It will meet once per quarter, during fall/winter/spring.
Would your parent/guardian potentially be interested in serving on this committee?

I am the Vice President of Students and the Chair for the Hazing Prevention Committee. If your answer is ‘yes’ to either or both questions above, please email me at jgilmoreenglish@rtc.edu by Friday, October 21st to let me know and I will follow up with you with further detail.

In service,

Jessica Gilmore English
Vice President of Student Services

425-235-2463
jgilmoreenglish@rtc.edu | rtc.edu
Pronouns: she, her, hers