New York: College Death

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Estate of Deceased College Student v. Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Numerous Defendants.  Retained by the mother of a Cornell sophomore who died as a result of hazing at the hands of the SAE pledges.   The lawsuit alleges that early in the morning of February 25, 2011, George, of Brooklyn, New York, was kidnapped by fraternity pledges of SAE as part of a long-standing fraternity ritual.  The pledges bound George at his wrists and ankles with zip ties and duct tape.  The pledges quizzed George about SAE and compelled him to consume alcohol until he lost consciousness and passed out numerous times. He required prompt, emergency medical treatment.  Instead, SAE pledges and members took him to the fraternity house, still bound at the wrists and ankles, and dumped him on a couch where he was left to die.  George was found later that morning by Cornell personnel, with zip ties still around his wrists and ankles.  One SAE pledge tried to interfere with the crime scene by having the zip ties removed before police arrived.  George’s blood alcohol level was .409%, and his death was a result of hazing.  See full press release.

Estate of Deceased College Student v. Numerous Defendants.  Retained by the family of a student who died following an initiation hazing ritual by the PIGS at State University of New York, Geneseo. The pledges were directed over the course of a day to participate in multiple drinking games and to later attend a PIGS party where they were directed to drink again.  Having advance knowledge that the police had been called to the party, the fraternity cleared the house and carried the intoxicated college student to an upstairs bedroom where he was left unattended. The college student died of alcohol poisoning.  The college death case is still in litigation, but articles about this case follow: News Article 1, News Article 2, News Article 3, News Article 4.