A fraternity chapter at Louisiana State University (LSU) has been suspended after a student was hospitalized for suspected alcohol poisoning. The prosecutor on the case has not yet released details, but police are investigating the incident as a possible case of illegal hazing.
In a letter from LSU Associate Dean of Students Jonathan Sanders, members of the fraternity have been placed on interim suspension. They are not allowed to host or participate in social activities during the suspension and are prohibited from interacting with newly initiated members.
This is infuriating! Hey LSU, why is this fraternity still allowed on campus? Kick them off, tear down their house, and salt the earth. Y'all keep saying you're going to get serious about hazing. Well? https://t.co/PqEkZzKZRo
— Rod Dreher (@roddreher) October 21, 2020
District Attorney Hillar Moore has said that police are already contacting witnesses and gathering evidence to look into a possible hazing incident. Moore cites the similarities between this case and that of Max Gruver.
“There are a lot of parallels,” Moore said, except that “everyone is cooperating in the investigation.”
Historic Case
Max Gruver was an LSU freshman who died after drinking at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house in 2017. The police investigation showed that he was coerced into drinking as part of a hazing ritual.
Four students were indicted and Matthew Naquin was convicted of negligent homicide. While Naquin was sentenced to five years in prison in November 2019, a judge later suspended half of the sentence.
The Gruver case led to the passing of the Max Gruver Act which states that hazing that results in death is automatically classified as a felony. It also requires schools to give lectures on hazing and impose penalties for organizations that allow such rituals.