OSTON (AP) — The parents of a Boston University freshman who died after becoming intoxicated at a 2013 pledge party are suing the fraternity and three members of the organization in federal court for wrongful death.
An autopsy of Anthony Barksdale II found that his blood alcohol level at the time of his death was .33 percent.
The Boston Globe reports the family is suing the national Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity, the BU chapter’s then-president, vice president and another brother.
The Huffington Post | By Alexandra Svokos
All Greek rush and pledge activities have been banned for three years at Baruch College in New York City, The Washington Post reported Friday. This announcement comes shortly after a lawsuit against the college from the family of Chun “Michael” Deng, a Baruch freshman who died during a fraternity pledging ritual in 2013. Deng’s family is suing the school for $25 million, according to DNAinfo.
“Our overriding interest is in ensuring the safety, well-being, and development of our students,” Provost Dave Christy said in a statement Tuesday. “While we know this outcome is not what the members of our fraternities and sororities had hoped for, we firmly believe this course of action is in the best interest of the aforementioned goals.”
During the ban, Greek organizations must submit rosters of their members to the Office of Student Life and conduct all their social activities on campus. They will also participate in mandatory anti-hazing, anti-bullying and sexual assault prevention training programs.
Deng died in December 2013 from a fatal brain injury during a Pi Delta Psi pledging event. Deng was blindfolded and carrying a backpack containing 20 pounds of sand while brothers tackled him in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. He apparently fell and hit his head, leading to his death.
Police said the brothers did not seek medical attention for Deng until more than 90 minutes after his injury..
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Thirty fraternities have been shut down by either their university or national headquarters since the beginning of March due to hazing, alcohol-related problems, criminal investigations and other student conduct infractions.
Most have been imposed for longer periods, typically two or three years, while some of the suspensions have been handed out on a short-term basis and will be reassessed after the school or police finish investigating reports of potentially illegal behavior. A few fraternities have lost their charters, which will prevent the chapters from re-establishing themselves without a significant endorsement from their universities and national headquarters.
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ORLANDO, Fla. – Jurors have convicted the last three defendants of manslaughter and hazing in the death of a Florida A&M drum major, ending a three-year-old case that shined a light on ritualized hazing within the school’s famed band.
The six-member jury deliberated for 2 1/2 hours Friday before reaching a verdict.
Benjamin McNamee, Darryl Cearnel and Aaron Golson were the final three defendants charged with manslaughter and hazing for 26-year-old Robert Champion’s death in 2011.
A total of 15 defendants were charged originally.
Champion’s beating death aboard a band bus parked outside an Orlando hotel after a football game exposed a culture of hazing within the school’s band.
Champion ran through a gauntlet of fellow band members who punched, kicked and struck him with instruments. He collapsed and died a short time later.
Robert Champion, the FAMU drum major who died after a hazing incident in Orlando, was a FAMU drum major from Southwest DeKalb High School near Atlanta.
photo: David Tulis/Special to the Orlando Sentinel
ORLANDO, Fla. – The trial of the remaining three former band members charged in the hazing death of a Florida A&M drum major is set to begin.
Jury selection is expected to occupy much of Monday.
Defendants Benjamin McNamee, Aaron Golson and Darryl Cearnel are being tried together, and each faces 15 years for the November 2011 death of 26-year-old Robert Champion.
Champion of Decatur, Georgia, was beaten during a brutal hazing ritual after a football game in November 2011.
The incident exposed a culture of hazing within FAMU’s famed Marching 100 band.
Fifteen former band members were charged with manslaughter. One served one year in county jail. Others plea bargained for probation and community service. The band was suspended for more than a year.