Latest news with #StopCampusHazingAct
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
'Hazing on steroids': Syracuse DA gives high school students 48 hours to surrender for incident
The district attorney in Syracuse, New York, is giving a group of high school students 48 hours to turn themselves in for an alleged hazing incident that he describes as a "criminal matter." "I cannot really adequately express to this community the level of stupidity and lack of judgement involved in this case," Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick said during a press conference on Tuesday. Fitzpatrick said he decided to prosecute charges against 11 students at Westhill High School who allegedly hazed a younger student on April 24. In the evening hours of April 24, the students, who are members of the boys varsity lacrosse team, allegedly decided they would "haze or play some sort of prank on some of the younger members of the lacrosse team," Fitzpatrick said. One victim told officials he thought he was going to have an "enjoyable evening with the upperclassman, go to a lacrosse game and finish the evening with something to eat at McDonald's," Fitzpatrick said. But, on their way home from eating food, the driver of the car claimed he was lost, stopped in a remote part of the county, which is when "accomplices jumped out of the woods pretending to be kidnappers," Fitzpatrick said. MORE: Alleged hazing incident under investigation following student's death These accomplices, who were other students, were dressed in black and armed with "at least one handgun and at least one knife," Fitzpatrick said. The victim had a pillowcase placed over his head, was tied up and placed in the trunk of the car, according to the DA. "I've seen the video tape of what happened to this young man, it is not a rite of passage, it is not a trivial matter," Fitzpatrick said. "I find it incomprehensible that in this day and age that somebody thought they could have gotten away with something like this." Investigators say there were four other potential victims, but they were able to flee the area. The incident, which Fitzpatrick describes as "hazing on steroids," said the 11 suspects that were involved have 48 hours to turn themselves into the sheriff's department. If the suspects decide to surrender to police before Friday, their case will either be handled through the family court system or will not fall under their criminal records, Fitzpatrick said. MORE: Miami University fraternity suspended amid 'inhumane' hazing allegations But, if they refuse to cooperate, the suspects will be arrested, prosecuted as adults and charged with kidnapping in the second degree, the DA said. He said that this incident "goes way beyond hazing," likening it more to "criminal activity." "If you want to welcome someone onto your team and toughen them up, maybe an extra hour of practice might be appropriate as opposed to taking someone at gunpoint, stuffing them in the back of a car and traumatizing them for the rest of their life," Fitzpatrick said. MORE: Parents of hazing victims react to House passage of 'Stop Campus Hazing Act' Westhill Schools Superintendent Steven Dunham sent an email to families regarding the incident, saying the school made the "difficult decision to cancel the remainder of the Westhill High School varsity boys lacrosse season," even though the majority of those on the team were not involved in the alleged hazing. "Some may argue that all student-athletes shouldn't be punished for the actions of a few. While I understand the perspective, we must address the culture of the program, and the most appropriate way to do that is with a reset," Dunham said. Dunham said the school will address the behavior that "negatively impacts members of our school community promptly and appropriately according to our Code of Conduct." 'Hazing on steroids': Syracuse DA gives high school students 48 hours to surrender for incident originally appeared on
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas Tech University trustees pass balanced budget with 2.55% tuition increase
Arkansas Tech University students will see a tuition and fees increase beginning next fall after the ATU Board of Trustees approved the university's 2025-26 operating budget Thursday at a meeting held at the Ozark campus. Undergraduate students enrolled in 15 credit hours at the Russellville campus will pay $5,113.50 a semester in tuition and mandatory fees, a 2.55% increase, or $127.35 more, compared to the current academic year. 'Our number one priority during the budgeting process for the 2025-26 academic year was to maintain affordability for our students,' said ATU President Dr. Russell Jones. 'We wish that number could be zero like it was when we submitted the 2024-25 budget, but in this time of inflation and given the other budgetary factors beyond our control… we achieved our goal of keeping an Arkansas Tech education within reach.' The $170.3 million budget includes responses to a drop in state funding, decreased revenue from sales and services, and a projected 10% increase in health insurance costs. To balance the budget, the university opted to hold maintenance, operations and scholarship spending flat while raising tuition and fees. Graduate tuition and fees also will increase by 2.55% in 2025-26. Career education and skilled trades students at the ATU-Ozark campus will see tuition rise approximately $4 a student semester credit hour, from $136.01 to $140.09. Beyond budgetary decisions, the Board also approved several policy and program changes, including: The deletion of the Master of Education in K-12 Literacy program The continuation of provisional positions at the Russellville campus Updates to the hazing prevention policy and student code of conduct to align with the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act, signed into law in December 2024 Approval of fines and fees administered by the Division of Student Affairs for 2025-26 A constitutional amendment for the ATU Staff Senate adjusting the terms of office The rescission of the university's affirmative action policy A new events policy affecting both internal and external use of ATU facilities This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Budget balancing act at ATU includes 2.55% tuition bump
