STOP THE HAZING AT ITHACA HIGH SCHOOL! In the past three years, there has been at least two football hazing incidents reported: 2026: football team, all white, ambushed a black student in the hallway during a passing period; teacher arrived nano-seconds before assault. 2023: sodomy with a broomstick in the football locker room. Both incidents happened on a Thursday, and these are TRENDS that have been documented on ESPN and many other newstories from 2003 to present time. These ambushes happen in locker rooms, urinals, shower stalls, hotel rooms, and sport camps; and often the coaches know. Victims suffer from severe internal injuries and PTSD, and there are documented cases of suicide within a year of the attack. How many more sexual assaults of our students have to happen before ICSD will make a prevention plan? According to the Hazing Prevention Network, an estimated 1.5 million high school students experience hazing each year.

The current ICSD discipline policy is aligned with the experimental "Restorative Justice" philosophy which is non-punative: no suspensions, no expulsions, no law enforcement referrals (even for the 2023 and 2026 sex offenders?). This petition urges ICSD Board of Education to learn more about sadistic national TRENDS happening in high schools and take the following seven steps to stop hazing at IHS:

1. ADOPT A ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY hazing with its own Policy # and in compliance with The Dignity Act 2012. Article 2: mandates instruction in civility… Ban unauthorized assembly for hazing prevention.
   

2. EDUCATION AND AWARENESS: Provide a district-wide, hazing-prevention education and awareness training for all staff/students grades 7-12/coaches in compliance with Education Law Section 1307 (Article 25) and NY Assembly bill A2427 which has provisions for funding. Make VISIBLE campus-wide: post signage in hallways: WHAT IS HAZING and HOW TO REPORT HAZING and LARGE GROUP CHANTING RITUALS PROHIBITED…. learn more about hazing (website). Safe people to talk to...

3. ANNUAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS: Offer annual campus-wide awareness campaign (student-driven) to peer-educate and educate the younger/incoming students and/or go to middle schools (sign anti-hazing pledges at beginning of year)

4. EXTRA-CURRICULAR INFORMED CONSENT FORMS PER NO HAZING POLICY and COACH/ADMIN BUY-IN: Require current and incoming administrators and coaches to sign anti-hazing statements. Post NO HAZING signs in locker rooms with Hazing Law reminders (fines up to $15,000 and 10 years in prison) and where/how to report.
5. TRANSPARENCY: Publicize on ICSD website all finalized hazing investigation reports (names redacted) posted on ICSD/BOE websites in compliance with NY Hazing Legislation (A2427) introduced in 2025. Post and make searchable on ICSD/BOE hazing history for all ICSD schools, policies, and education plan and prevention studies.
6. UNBIASED HAZING INVESTIGATIONS: No conflict of interest, no past or present coach investigators, transparent record-keeping with bi-annual reports given by the DASA chief on hazing incidents at each school and whether there are any patterns.
7. ZERO TOLERANCE: Prompt suspensions, season cancellations, expulsions, law enforcement referrals. Code of Conduct is evasive and should state clear consequences and NYS hazing law fines: up to $15,000 and up to 10 years imprisonment. Support and enforce the fines and penalties of NY Assembly Bill A2427 institutes new personal hazing offenses.

Zero Tolerance Policy proposal submitted 6/30/26 to ICSD Board of Education: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13J74xPjjGUJai8Lggvcgp53tDDHvo9pe41j9oxeFI9k/edit?usp=sharing

More Info from hazing expert: https://youtu.be/J3KBMlHT87o?si=luef-kEyMcaBx9x2