537.23 HAZING PROHIBITED.
(a) As used in this section:
(1) “Hazing” means doing any act or coercing another, including the victim, to do any act of initiation into any student or other organization or any act to continue or reinstate membership in or affiliation with any student or other organization that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm to any person, including coercing another to consume alcohol or a drug of abuse, as defined in Ohio R.C. 3719.011.
(2) “Organization” includes a national or international organization with which a fraternity or sorority is affiliated.
(b) (1) No person shall recklessly participate in the hazing of another.
(2) No administrator, employee, faculty member, teacher, consultant, alumnus, or volunteer of any organization, including any primary, secondary, or post-secondary school or any other educational institution, public or private, shall recklessly permit the hazing of any person associated with the organization.
(c) (1) No person shall recklessly participate in the hazing of another when the hazing includes coerced consumption of alcohol or drugs of abuse resulting in serious physical harm to the other person.
(2) No administrator, employee, faculty member, teacher, consultant, alumnus, or volunteer of any organization, including any primary, secondary, or post-secondary school or other educational institution, public or private, shall recklessly permit the hazing of any person associated with the organization when the hazing includes coerced consumption of alcohol or drugs of abuse resulting in serious physical harm to that person.
(d) Whoever violates subsections (b) or (c) of this section is guilty of hazing. A violation of subsections (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section is a misdemeanor of the second degree. A violation of subsections (c)(1) or (c)(2) of this section is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate state law. (ORC 2903.31)
(e) Reckless failure to immediately report knowledge of hazing.
(1) No administrator, employee, faculty member, teacher, consultant, alumnus, or volunteer of any organization, including any primary, secondary, or post-secondary school or any other public or private educational institution, who is acting in an official and professional capacity shall recklessly fail to immediately report the knowledge of hazing to a law enforcement agency in the county in which the victim of hazing resides or in which the hazing is occurring or has occurred.
(2) A violation of subsection (e)(1) of this section is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, except that the violation is a misdemeanor of the first degree if the hazing causes serious physical harm.
(ORC 2903.311(B), (C))