On Thursday, the New Mexico Department of Justice announced the introduction of legislation aimed at addressing hazing and cyberbullying.
The proposed legislation, which was announced Thursday morning in Albuquerque at a press conference, criminalizes both hazing and cyberbullying and establishes penalties, including felony charges for severe cases. At the press conference, Attorney General Raúl Torrez cited student safety concerns in regards to hazing and cyberbullying.
“Because of that, and in the light of the recent report that we issued in respect to the specific and egregious allegations of hazing that occurred inside the New Mexico State’s men’s basketball team, we promised to work with legislative leaders, stakeholders, and others to develop a comprehensive approach to addressing those issues,” Torrez said. “We are including both reporting requirements and training requirements for higher institutions to deal with the issue of hazing specifically. But we are also including civil causes of action that affected and impacted students can take advantage of for any institution that may have neglected to fulfill its legal duty, as well as criminal penalties.”…