Rep. Judy Chu Calls for End Of Hazing in Military

New military hazing rules could be part of annual defense bill
Military Times
By Leo Shane III
March 1, 2016

Rep. Judy Chu wants the military to finally get serious about ending hazing in the ranks.

Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, 21, killed himself April 3, 2011, in Afghanistan after being hazed by fellow Marines, according to an investigation. His aunt, Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., wants anti-hazing legislation to be in the next defense authorization bill.

(Photo: Courtesy of Allen Lew)

The California Democrat, whose nephew committed suicide in Afghanistan five years ago after a hazing episode by fellow Marines, on Tuesday petitioned House defense leaders to include new anti-hazing initiatives in the upcoming defense authorization bill debate, saying that Pentagon leaders simply have not done enough to address the issue despite years of focus from Congress.

Her renewed criticism stems from a Government Accountability Office report released last month which found poor oversight and enforcement of those initiatives, and still-scattered data on the frequency of such crimes in the ranks.

“Today we have an independent analysis that found that the Defense Department’s anti-hazing policies are not being implemented, training is unclear and tracking systems are highly divergent and underdeveloped,” she told members of the House Armed Services Committee. “DoD is not aware to the extent of which hazing policies have been implemented.”
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