RICHMOND, Va. — The family of Adam Oakes is pushing to pass anti-hazing bills nearly one year after he died following a fraternity rush party.
Eric Oakes and his niece Courtney White traveled to Richmond to present 'Adam's Law' to several Virginia senators. The proposed legislation, sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D- Fairfax) and Del. Kathleen Murphy (D-Fairfax), unanimously passed a Senate committee meeting Thursday and will be heading to the Senate floor to undergo a series of readings.
The bill would require in-person, ongoing, anti-hazing education that certain fraternity advisers would have presented to them and all current and new members. It also would require an adviser to be present during new member events, provide immunity from punishment to students who report hazing and mandate universities to publish violations online surrounding hazing.
"Any sort of events that happen around hazing would be published and kept on a website and/or in documentation for up to 10 years," Sen. Boysko said.
"It's making that important information readily available to families and to kids to empower their decision making," Courtney White added.
Adam Oakes died of alcohol poisoning after a rush ceremony for new members at the Delta Chi fraternity at Virginia Commonwealth University last February. The fraternity is accused of telling him to drink a bottle of whiskey at an off-campus party, but when he hit his head, no one got him help and he was left asleep on a couch. Oakes was found dead the next morning.
Eleven members of the fraternity have been charged, with at least one already pleading guilty to his charges.
Several universities have come forward to show support and provide input on the anti-hazing legislation, including Radford University and James Madison University.
"Everybody embraced this bill and everybody gave positive feedback and input as to what was doable and what would help what they thought could get passed," White said.
A second bill, which has not been presented to a subcommittee, would make hazing a Class 5 felony instead of a misdemeanor, which could bring a punishment of up to 10 years.
It would change the definition of hazing to include “reckless or intentional act of causing another person to suffer severe emotional distress through outrageous or intolerable conduct when the severe emotional distress was caused by the outrageous or intolerable conduct.” This would allow civil penalties against organizations aware of students participating, aiding or assisting in hazing and did nothing to stop it.
The family has also set up a foundation in honor of Adam Oakes to help raise awareness.