Garfield Community PTSA Message about Hazing
Hello Garfield Parents,
As you may know, Homecoming week is coming up at Garfield which culminates with the Carnival and game on Friday, Oct. 6. This has been a typical time when hazing involving Garfield students occurs. Hazing is initiating or harassing another student with meaningless, difficult, dangerous, or humiliating tasks and may involve skipping school, risky and demeaning activities, and alcohol/drugs. Garfield has a strong discipline policy on hazing. The Seattle School District also has a discipline policy that includes hazing (see page 5).
What you need to know:
- Hazing often escalates into dangerous behavior and has lasting negative effects on thousands of U.S. high school students each year
- Participation in hazing will be disciplined and that may include long-term suspension or expulsion from school
- It is a crime for students to possess alcohol or drugs, including inside their body
- It is a crime for students to provide alcohol or drugs to other students
- It can be a crime for students to physically, verbally, or mentally victimize another student
- Parents may be held legally responsible for any harm to others that occurs at their home
What you can do:
- Please discuss hazing with your student so they are clear on your expectations and those of the school
- Please know where your student is and what they are doing on Friday, Oct. 6
- Consider collecting them from school or bus or volunteer to chaperone on buses to the game. Make sure your home and vehicle are not available for hazing
- Please help protect your student and other students from making poor and potentially dangerous choices
- Here is more information on what parents need to know to prevent hazing
Please forward or post this message to other parents you know who may miss this distribution. Please preserve Garfield’s local and national reputation for excellence by NOT hazing.
Garfield Community PTSA