Chicagoland hazing “unlikely” in Mount Pleasant

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Recent video of a high school hazing incident in a Chicago suburb has students
at Mount Pleasant High School wondering how it could happen.

“Several students were watching the TV when the video of the hazing came
across,” said Betty Kirby, principal at MPHS. “The general feeling
is that they were disgusted with what they saw.”

The incident, which landed several junior girls in the hospital for injuries
ranging from lacerations to concussions, is still under investigation.

“We don’t have a specific policy on hazing, but we do have policies
on harassment and bullying, which covers the area of hazing,” Kirby said.

Michigan is one of many states with anti-hazing laws at the state level.

Kirby said she understands that sometimes hazing can happen.

“Hazing can happen anywhere you have a group of young people,” she
said. “But we take claims of harassment very seriously and deal with them
immediately.”

Harassment is included in both the general student handbook, which all MPHS
students receive, and the athletic handbook for student athletes. In the general
student book, harassment is defined as “unreasonable actions by word or
conduct that interfere with school performance or creates an intimidating,
hostile or offensive environment.”

“We are very careful to spell out rules on harassment and initiation
hazing,” Kirby said. “What I have seen in the past has generally
been good natured, but if it becomes harmful then it will fall under the definition
of harassment.”

Nathan Bootz, principal of Shepherd High School, said the incident in Chicago
was an example of hazing going too far.

“There is good fun and there is dangerous fun, and the students in Chicago
crossed the line,” he said. “Hazing has no place in public education.”

Bootz said he isn’t aware of students talking about the incident, but
couldn’t believe it when he saw it.

“When most people think about hazing, they think about things that happen
in college fraternities, things that are tradition and happen year after year,”
he said. “How could this have ever happened at a high school?”

The Chicago incident took place off of school property during a weekend, but
Kirby said the athletic code of conduct at MPHS may cover an event like that.

“The athletic code of conduct can cover any off school event, but sometimes,
when it’s not an athlete who participates in the hazing, it gets hard
because it’s not under our jurisdiction,” she said. “Athletic
participation is a privilege, and students can’t participate in behavior
that reflects badly on themselves, the team or the school district.”

The athletic code of conduct, which all student athletes must agree to, says
that students cannot participate in any unreasonable behavior even if it is
off of school property during a school-sponsored event.

Kirby said she doesn’t see any reason for people in Mount Pleasant to
worry about a hazing incident similar to the Chicago incident.

“I’ve been here for eight years now, and it’s hard for me to
see something like that happening in this setting,” she said.

Kirby also said students are actively watching the hazing incident.

“The educators tell me that it’s a hot topic that people are talking
about, and that most students can’t see how someone could do that to another
human being,” she said. “The more I learn about the event, the worse
it seems to get.”