Max Gruver’s death spurred Georgia lawmakers to promote Senate Law No. 85, which aimed at harassment at state colleges.
ATLANTA – Several state laws are due to go into effect Thursday, including one targeting harassment at colleges and universities in Georgia.
Here’s what the bill says, and how some schools in central Georgia will deal with compliance with the new law.
Senate Law 85 broadens the definition of fraternity and sorority incitement and sets penalties for incitement to hatred.
Mercer University Sigma Nu Senior Drew Daniel attended Trinity Catholic High School with Max Gruver in Roswell.
“He was the fun-loving guy,” said Daniel. “He was a really good guy.”
In 2017, Gruver died of alcohol poisoning, which authorities described as a ritual to intimidate fraternity at the Phi Delta Theta house at Louisiana State University.
“It was so difficult for me to deal with and I know it was extremely difficult for his parents and his other friends,” Daniel said.
Gruver’s death spurred Georgia lawmakers to enforce Senate Law No. 85, which aimed to harass Georgia colleges.
Macon’s Senator John Kennedy and six other senators supported the Gruver-named bill.
“It really got some of us to refocus our thoughts on what the definition of hazing should be under Georgia law, and that’s what you see under the Max Gruver Act,” said Kennedy.
The law defines hazing as an activity that could harm a student’s physical health.
This includes forcing the student to eat or drink anything that could make them vomit, intoxicate, or pass out.
Kennedy said, “It will hopefully provide more accountability and through examples of where inappropriate behavior has harmed a young person and show that he has been held accountable for it. Hopefully it will be the deterrent for young people making decisions. “
The law requires Georgia public and private universities to establish guidelines for reporting and investigating harassment.
It states that all hazing reports must be posted on the school’s website for a minimum of five years.
Carrie Ingoldsby of Mercer University says all students can report behavior violations to their campus police.
“We attach great importance to the safety of the students. We have worked hard to educate our current students about hazing, and we will continue to do that work, and we will certainly abide by any new laws that may come into effect, ”said Ingoldsby.
Last February, Sigma Nu hosted a disturbing awareness-raising event with the Gruver family on the Mercer campus.
“I am very grateful to all of the guys in my fraternity for what they did to move this forward and get the floor on campus and everything else,” Daniel said.
Now, Daniel said this fall, his chapter will continue to sponsor awareness tables in their quad and encourage students to attend regular Zoom meetings hosted by Gruver’s family.
We also contacted two other colleges in Central Georgia.
Georgia College says they updated their website in accordance with the new law, and Fort Valley State University says it has long been a practice of harassment prevention for fraternities and sororities, sports teams, the marching band, and other student groups.
