SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV)— The recent investigations at Westhill High School have drawn comparisons to hazing tragedies from the past decade, raising questions about how deeply hazing has become the cultural norm.
National Hazing Expert, Hank Nuwer, has spent almost 40 years diving into these cases. Nuwer says what happened was “not a rite of passage — it was abuse.”
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“It reminds me of the death of Chuck Stenzel at Alfred University,” said Nuwer, referring to a 1980s hazing death in NYS. “This case was extreme. Putting someone in a trunk — that’s not team bonding, it’s dangerous.”
Psychology professor at Le Moyne College, Rachel Dinero, who studies group behavior and trauma, said that hazing isn’t just impulsive behavior; it’s culturally acceptable. Dinero also acknowledged that hazing traditions are often passed down, and that the respected “leaders” of teams, clubs, and Greek life become normalized…