RICHMOND, Va. -- Speaking before Virginia lawmakers Monday morning, Delegate Atoosa Reaser, (D-Loundon County) spoke in support of legislation that would further enhance Adam’s Law, named after VCU freshman Adam Oakes.
Oakes died in February 2021 from alcohol poisoning after a hazing incident while pledging to the Delta Chi fraternity.
Adam’s Law requires colleges and universities to provide hazing prevention training and education to students, but now Reaser hopes to expand that education to include a planned curriculum for high school students.
“I think high school is a good time to work on preventative behavior,” Reaser says. “If we can educate our students before they are in a situation where they may be facing pressure to drink to join a fraternity or for organizations at the collegiate level. We also know that they do face forms of hazing, even in the high school years.”
HB 719 and a companion bill in the Virginia Senate, require school boards to develop a research-based hazing prevention curriculum for students in grades 9 or 10 as part of their physical and health education.
It also directs the Virginia Department of Education to incorporate the material into the Standards of Learning.
Over the past three years Adam’s father, Eric, has traveled the state talking to students about the dangers of hazing. He testified before lawmakers Monday, saying his son’s death could have been prevented with simple education.
“There were 11 young men indicted in Adam’s death who were all products of the Virginia Public School system,” Oakes says. “I feel confident had those 11 young men received the proper research-based hazing prevention education in Virginia’s Public School system, at least one of them would have known to call 911 for help that night and Adam would be alive today, or possibly one of them would have used a technique that could have taught them to distract, deflect or direct the bad behavior away from someone or maybe not put Adam or any of the other eight pledges in harm’s way that night.”
While aspects of hazing are already addressed in high school classrooms, Reaser says this legislation will set up guidelines to help schools have a bigger impact in educating students about the dangers of hazing.
The legislation passed the Higher Education Subcommittee Monday and now heads to a full committee for a vote. The companion bill passed a Senate subcommittee last week.
Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
SHARE on social media to SPREAD the WORD!
