NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – As the end of the legislative session quickly approaches, one lawmaker is pushing to pass a bill that would make hazing a crime. The bill comes nearly a year after one New Mexico university was involved in a hazing scandal .
House Bill 225 is being introduced by Representative Joshua Hernandez. If passed, anyone who commits hazing could be guilty of a misdemeanor, and those who commit aggravated hazing could face a fourth-degree felony.
“We’ve seen hazing incidences across the state [for] about a year ago now. We learned about the NMSU hazing incident, we’ve had a few more, and, really, there’s a rise of them across the country,” stated Representative Joshua Hernandez, (R)-District 60.
In 2023, New Mexico State University canceled the men’s basketball season and fired their head coach after former players were involved in sexual assault allegations. Four months later, basketball players Deuce Benjamin and Shak Odunewu came forward with a lawsuit against the school.