By Gaby Maldonado
October 3, 2023
Boston College (BC), a private Jesuit university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, announced the suspension of its swimming and diving program after university administrators discovered hazing within the teams. Hazing involves humiliation and sometimes dangerous initiation procedures, particularly for college students seeking membership in a specific clique.
"The university does not — and will not — tolerate hazing in any form," BC said in a short statement announcing the disciplinary action of both the men's and women's teams. According to reports, swimmers and divers may or may not have been involved in encouraging first-year students to binge drink and consume their own vomit.
31 members of BC's swimming and diving team have asked the university to swiftly lift the program's permanent suspension, claiming that the university has "grossly mishandled" its response to hazing accusations.
The law firm Nesenoff & Miltenberg is representing 28 members of the team and is arguing that the university is issuing statements prematurely without gathering all evidence, deeming it negligent and harmful to the team members. "As such, it is clear that the suspension is not warranted, is unnecessarily punitive, and will cause long-lasting harm to the student athletes if not vacated immediately,” they said.
According to university spokesperson Jack Dunn, the suspension will continue to be set in place. Dunn confirmed that BC remains steadfast in its decisions and will not be swayed by legal challenges, highlighting the ongoing status of the case, and refraining from commenting further.
“The University will continue to follow its procedures and treat any allegation of hazing with the utmost seriousness. Given that the investigation is ongoing, the University will not comment further on the matter,” Dunn said.
The Office of the Dean of Students will investigate the issues at hand and resolve them impartially and fairly through the student conduct process.
