Danny Santulli was a freshman at the University of Missouri when he was horribly injured in a fraternity hazing incident in 2022, yet no one who witnessed Danny’s extreme medical distress ever called 911 for help. Danny’s Law, recently passed by the Missouri legislature and signed into law yesterday by Governor Mike Kehoe, is intended to incentivize those who witness acts of hazing to call 911 immediately so that hazing victims can get the medical care they need before they sustain permanent injuries.
Danny’s Law is based upon Andrew’s Law, a Florida law enacted in 2019 following the hazing death of Andrew Coffey at Florida State University. Both laws provide limited immunity from criminal prosecution under the criminal hazing statutes for the first person to call 911 seeking help for a hazing victim, and extend that immunity to those who render aid to the victim while help is on the way. David Bianchi from our firm participated in the drafting of both laws and testified before the Florida and Missouri legislatures, urging their passage.
“Missouri is now the seventh state with a law like this, and it will undoubtedly save lives in the future,” Bianchi said. “In all probability, Danny Santulli would be fine today if those who were with him following the hazing and the forced consumption of alcohol had called 911 when it was obvious that he needed help, but no one did that. As a result, Danny is now blind, cannot walk, cannot speak, and cannot care for himself. This law seeks to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future, and I am very pleased that it is now the law in Missouri.”
To learn more, read KY3's report on Danny's Law, including an interview with David Bianchi.