As the fall semester nears and fraternity pledge season looms, hazing attorney David Bianchi is reminding the country what’s at stake--and what lawmakers can do to save lives. In a new editorial for The Kansas City Star, Bianchi explains how Missouri’s recently signed anti-hazing statute, known as Danny’s Law, tackles one of the most persistent failings in fraternity culture: silence in the face of emergency.
Danny’s Law, signed into law on July 10, provides immunity from criminal hazing charges to the first person who calls 911 during a hazing incident and remains at the scene. It also shields those who render aid, like CPR, while help is on the way. The law is named for Danny Santulli, the University of Missouri freshman who suffered catastrophic brain damage during a fraternity hazing in 2021. Bianchi represented the Santulli family in their civil case against the parties responsible--and helped draft and advocate for the passage of Danny’s Law itself.
Danny Santulli suffered massive brain damage because others in the house were afraid they’d be prosecuted if they called 911. Offering immunity under Missouri’s criminal hazing statute is one way to motivate them to call for help quickly.
On the immunity clause, he writes:
Some have questioned the wisdom of potentially giving immunity to the one who provided the alcohol to the underage pledge or directly participated in the hazing itself. But ask the parents of Danny Santulli, or the parents of anyone else who died in a fraternity hazing incident, and they will all say the same thing: They would much rather have their child back than prosecute the person who did it. It is not even a close call.
Bianchi notes that Missouri is now only the seventh state to pass a law like this. He argues that it’s time to take the next step: a national anti-hazing law that includes Good Samaritan immunity.
The piece also underscores why Danny’s Law matters beyond Missouri: More than 100 students have died in fraternity hazing events over the last 25 years. In many of those cases, timely medical intervention could have made the difference between life and death. But fear of legal consequences often prevents peers from seeking help.
Danny’s Law seeks to break that cycle. Bianchi’s guest column is not just a look at the law’s origins, but a call for other states--and Congress--to follow Missouri’s lead.
Read the full editorial in The Kansas City Star.