Hazing is far from new. As early as Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, ritualized tests of loyalty and endurance were woven into group identity and initiation (Bruckner, 2018). While the contexts have changed, the impulse behind hazing, proving belonging through endurance, has endured for centuries.
On today’s college campuses, however, the term hazing is often immediately associated with fraternities and sororities. That perception overlooks a broader reality. Hazing exists well beyond the Greek system, appearing in athletics, marching bands, clubs, and other student organizations. The issue is not confined to one community; it is a widespread challenge that demands collective responsibility (Kesslen, 2021).
What has become unmistakably clear in recent decades is the cost. Hazing is not a one-time event with temporary consequences. Research shows its effects can span a lifetime, shaping mental health, academic outcomes, professional confidence, and personal relationships. Since the year 2000, more than 50 lives have been lost in hazing-related incidents across the United States (Kesslen, 2021). These are not abstract figures. They are students whose futures ended before they began, and families forever changed by loss.
Despite increased attention, hazing prevention remains one of the most stubborn issues facing colleges and universities. While traditional responses, zero-tolerance policies, and punitive sanctions are often well-intended, research increasingly shows that punishment alone can unintentionally push harmful behavior further underground, making it harder to detect, address, and prevent. Scholars consistently reaffirm that meaningful change requires more than penalties. It demands strong organizational leadership, engaged alumni, sustained accountability, and educational strategies rooted in psychology, sociology, and student development (Parks, 2021).
Most importantly, it requires listening, especially to families whose personal tragedies remind us that hazing is not tradition. It is harmful, with lifelong consequences that can be fatal.
Choosing Education Over Optics
On February 1, 2026, Sigma Alpha Epsilon intentionally chose a different approach. Rather than responding defensively to misleading and generalized perceptions of fraternities, taking broad punitive measures against members, or ignoring a difficult conversation in hopes that it would go away, SAE leaned into education and accountability by hosting a fraternity-wide hazing prevention program featuring Lianne Kowiak, a nationally recognized advocate and leader in the anti-hazing movement.
The program reached members from more than 180 chapters across the country, demonstrating a willingness to engage in honest dialogue at scale and to confront difficult truths head-on. This was not symbolic programming. It was a deliberate investment in prevention, reflection, and culture change.
Lianne Kowiak is a founding member of the Anti-Hazing Coalition, a former Board Member of the Hazing Prevention Network, and a respected national voice in hazing education and policy. She has addressed thousands of students nationwide and worked directly with policymakers in Washington, D.C., advocating for stronger state and national anti-hazing legislation. Her credibility is grounded not only in expertise but in lived experience.
Her son, Harrison, lost his life to fraternity hazing during his sophomore year of college at just 19 years old. In the wake of that loss, Lianne transformed grief into purpose—committing her life to educating students, organizations, and institutions so that other families never endure the same tragedy. Through the Harrison Kowiak Scholarship Fund, her family has awarded more than 70 scholarships, sending student leaders to the annual Hazing Prevention Institute to “pay it forward” and expand prevention efforts nationwide.
Reflecting on her experience with Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Lianne shared a message that cuts to the core of what sustainable prevention requires:
I have had the honor and privilege of speaking at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon 2025 and 2026 Leadership Conferences, reaching over 1000 live attendees, as well as the first-ever national Zoom call on February 1, 2026, with over 5000 virtual attendees representing 180 chapters nationwide.
At each of these events, I shared the story of my son, Harrison Kowiak, and how he lost his life to fraternity hazing at just 19 years old. There are no words to describe what we wouldn’t do to have our son and brother with us again.
Harrison was full of life. His smile lit up every room he entered. He had a way of making people feel seen and included—especially those who were often overlooked. I will never forget the day he brought a pair of his old sneakers to his high school to give to a student he barely knew. He told me the student came to school wearing shoes with holes in them. Harrison didn’t hesitate. That was who he was—kind, generous, and deeply compassionate.
When Harrison was in high school and we applied for his driver’s license, and we discussed whether he wanted to be an organ donor. Harrison said yes. He believed that if something ever happened to him, helping someone else would be the right thing to do. No parent ever imagines that decision being needed so soon. At 19 years old, Harrison became an organ donor—and saved lives—even as we were losing him.
Harrison loved golf. He was captain of his high school golf team and dreamed of studying business and playing golf in college. He earned both an academic and a golf scholarship to Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina. We were beyond proud of him.
We are a close family, and Harrison talked openly with us about joining Theta Chi, a fraternity. An interesting side note, when this horrific tragedy happened to our family, we didn’t want to associate with Theta Chi. After some time had passed, my husband and I met with their Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer. We had a productive conversation, and I have now spoken at the Theta Chi Leadership Conference every year, speaking to their chapter officers. The CEO and I met, and it marked the beginning of outlining a grassroots effort to strengthen hazing laws in North Carolina, where Harrison went to college. Without the connections Theta Chi had with its alumni, Harrison’s Law would not have gained the momentum and support to pass in North Carolina, where it went into effect in December 2025. Theta Chi has donated to the Harrison Kowiak Scholarship fund annually.
He told us the reasons so many young men join a fraternity: his school was small, it would help him make friends, build connections, and belong. He even dreamed of becoming chapter president one day and continuing the “legacy” left behind by graduating brothers on the golf team who were Theta Chi brothers.
I asked him the question every parent asks: Is it safe? My husband was not in a fraternity, and I was in Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity, and hazing did not exist in my University of Buffalo chapter.
Harrison’s response was “yes, it’s safe, Mom. Don’t worry about it… the guys on the golf team would have his back. Who had my son’s back that horrific night in November 2008?
No parent sends their child to college expecting to bury them. Harrison died from severe head trauma during what was described as a “team-building activity.” He and another new member were told to run across a pitch-dark field—no lights—to touch a so-called sacred rock. They were never told they would be tackled. They were never warned. As a result of his injuries, Harrison had a severe head trauma.
Some of the members who tackled Harrison were football players. Harrison had never played tackle sports. He was hit from the left, the right, and from behind. He never had a chance.
My husband and I were forced to make the most devastating decision of our lives—to remove our only son from life support. Harrison’s younger sister lost her only sibling and her best friend. Our family was forever changed in a single night by hazing. Mother’s and Father’s Day are difficult; the date of his death and his birthday are triggers, having that empty seat at Thanksgiving and the holidays will never be the same.
This is why I speak to students across the country, and when organizations like Sigma Alpha Epsilon ask me to speak at their Leadership Conference and nationally to ALL of their brothers, I will seize that opportunity to reach as many individuals as possible. If I am able to impact 1 or 50, or 100 individuals, it is time well spent in keeping them safe from the dangers of hazing.
In my presentations, I share Harrison’s story alongside the realities of hazing: the many forms it takes, the lifelong trauma it causes, the legal consequences for perpetrators, and the devastating ripple effects on families and communities. I educate students on the National Stop Campus Hazing Act, how state laws differ, and the passage of Harrison’s Law in North Carolina, which took effect in December 2025, holding individuals accountable for their actions. I remind students to check their state laws. Don’t let poor judgment ruin your future and cause you to get a misdemeanor or a felony. Employers will do background checks and there have been cases where the employee won’t be hired because of their tarnished record.
I am grateful to Sigma Alpha Epsilon for giving me the platform to reach thousands of young men. SAE has made it clear that hazing has no place in its organization. Their Creed speaks of honor, respect, and responsibility—and those words matter only when they are lived. Their motto is A True Gentleman. A True Gentleman does not haze!
I have been hugged by alumni and staff members who thanked me through tears. I have spoken with undergraduate brothers who told me their mothers don’t have to worry—because they understand how dangerous hazing is and that silence can be deadly.
I do not charge a speaker’s fee. I will not profit off of my son’s tragedy. My family and I choose to “pay it forward” and we have created the Harrison Kowiak Scholarship fund. SAE has also generously supported the scholarship which sends students to the Hazing Prevention Institute through the Hazing Prevention Network. More than 70 scholarships have already been awarded. Education saves lives. Awareness saves lives. Courage saves lives. It truly takes a village and together, we can prevent hazing.
I am painfully aware that SAE, like many organizations in and out of Fraternity & Sorority Life, has experienced hazing incidents and hazing-related deaths over the years. That is why I remind every brother that hazing is not “True Gentleman” behavior. Hazing took my son’s life. Nothing will ever undo that. Hazing can quickly escalate. It may start out small i.e. being expected to carry items on you, name calling, being the designated driver, cleaning up after a party (little H) but then it can quickly escalate and become violent (big H) hazing such as alcohol poisoning, branding, ingesting disgusting items, beating and paddling.
Hazing does not exist only in fraternities and sororities. It happens in athletics, marching bands, performing arts, summer camps, and even high schools. This is not about blame—it is about responsibility. Prevention requires all of us to speak up, step in, and stop it before another family lives this nightmare. Be the leader, if you see something…say something.
Thank you to Sigma Alpha Epsilon for listening to a grieving mother and for choosing education over tradition, courage over silence, and lives over “bonding.” There is no greater pain than losing a child. But if sharing Harrison’s story prevents even one senseless death, then this work—this advocacy—is exactly where I am meant to be.
Harrison should still be here.
And because of him, this mom will continue the fight against hazing.
#SigmaAlphaEpsilon #TrueGentlemen #StopHazingForHarrison #BeTheLeader
For Sigma Alpha Epsilon, this work is not about image management. Sigma Alpha Epsilon believes that keeping brothers safe is not just about policy; it is a foundational principle. Health & safety, and hazing prevention are clearly paramount. Hazing has no place in a brotherhood built on the values of the True Gentleman. By prioritizing education, SAE is keeping prevention top of mind and taking meaningful steps to prevent senseless tragedies. Now more than ever, young men need authentic, lifelong bonds with one another, and SAE is proud to nurture that brotherhood while standing united in the fight against hazing. It is about responsibility. Brotherhood, when done right, is protective, not destructive. It is built on trust, dignity, accountability, and care for one another’s well-being.
Leading With Intention
Eminent Supreme Recorder and CEO of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Steve Mitchell, is pushing the organization and others to understand that no fraternity or institution is defined solely by headlines; it is instead defined by how they respond, what they prioritize, and whether they are willing to do the difficult, unglamorous work of cultural change.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon recognizes that hazing prevention is not achieved through a single program or policy. It requires sustained effort, creativity, and the courage to engage voices that challenge complacency. By centering education, elevating families impacted by loss, and committing to proactive leadership, SAE continues to push forward, working not just to comply with expectations but to redefine them. Progress is measured not in statements, but in action. And that responsibility is one Sigma Alpha Epsilon continues to embrace.
