Picking up the phone after hazing can feel like a bigger step than it is. Many survivors worry that one call will trigger a lawsuit, a police report or a public record. It will not. Asking a question sets nothing in motion, and you stay in control at every stage.
Step One: You Talk to a Person
Your first conversation is with a real person, not a web form or a scripted intake. You do not have to describe what happened in order to talk. You can ask questions, hear how these claims work and decide what, if anything, you want to share.
Step Two: We Look Into Who Had a Duty
Next, we examine which institution was responsible for you, what it knew, what records exist and whether a claim can still be brought. This work costs you nothing.
Hazing claims are usually brought against the school and often a national organization, not only the individuals who took part. A national fraternity or sorority can be a defendant alongside the campus chapter and the school. The theory that most often carries these cases is negligent supervision, though several usually run together, and the right fit depends on your facts.
Because the responsible body is usually a private organization, the Tort Immunity rules that govern claims against Illinois public bodies do not apply in the same way. The questions are the ordinary ones about institutional liability.
Step Three: You Decide
We tell you plainly what is possible. If you decide not to go ahead, that is the end of it, and what you told us stays confidential.
Step Four: If You Go Ahead, We Carry the Case
We handle the filings, deadlines, records and the institution's insurers. Steps can be taken to protect your identity in the court record.
The Law Behind the Review
Illinois has a specific hazing offense under 720 ILCS 5/12C-50. Hazing is committed when someone knowingly requires a student to perform an act for induction into a group connected with an educational institution, the institution has not sanctioned the act and it results in bodily harm. It is a Class A misdemeanor, raised to a Class 4 felony when death or great bodily harm results.
In civil terms, the point to notice is the word "sanctioned." An organization that knew an initiation practice existed and let it continue has answered that question against itself.
Questions We Hear Often
Do I need a police report? No. A civil claim needs no report, no charge and no conviction. Most people we speak with never reported.
Does someone have to be convicted? No. Civil cases use a lower standard of proof and are usually brought against the institution.
It was a long time ago. That is the norm in this work. What matters is your age at the time, who was responsible and the facts.
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Ervin Nevitt is a partner at Coplan + Crane and has been admitted in Illinois since 2014. Call (708) 671-6858, answered 24 hours a day, or visit the office at 60 W Randolph St, Suite 333, Chicago, IL 60601.
If you need to talk to someone now, the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline is free and confidential at 1-800-656-4673. In immediate danger, call 911. A hotline call does not affect your legal options. For more information, visit: https://survivorsofabuseil.com/hazing-sexual-abuse-lawyer-il/
Attorney advertising. This post is general information, not legal advice.
