LSU ex-pledge sues DX Natl., chapter pres.

[hoosier]

LSU student sues fraternity over alleged hazing ordeal

The Associated Press

An LSU student has sued a national fraternity over an alleged hazing incident, saying he was beaten and forced to inhale rubbing alcohol last year.
Richard Suarez, 20, of Terrytown, claims Delta Chi members covered his head with a pillow case, then doused him with the alcohol before knocking him to the ground and forcing him to roll over thorns and rocks in a remote sugarcane field. Suarez said he vomited blood after the 90-minute ordeal last spring.
"With the pillowcase over my head, that's all I could breathe," Suarez said. "It did knock me out a couple of times."
Ray Galbreth, executive director of Delta Chi, based in Iowa City, Iowa, said Saturday that he hadn't seen the lawsuit and could not comment.
The LSU chapter of Delta Chi was removed from campus in December after the university completed an eight-month investigation into hazing allegations, said Victor Felts, LSU's director of Greek affairs.
Felts said that because of the lawsuit, he couldn't discuss specifics about the investigation.
According to the lawsuit, during weekly "pledge nights," Suarez was forced to do push-ups on urine-soaked newspapers. During "pledge nights," Suarez's suit claims, he was forced to eat and drink large amounts of food and liquor within specific time limits.
On Friday, Suarez said he did not leave the fraternity immediately after the hazing incidents because he had other friends who were pledges.
The lawsuit, filed in state District Court in Baton Rouge, also names then-LSU chapter President Jared Smith and an unspecified insurance company as defendants.
Smith was named as a defendant because he authorized the "tortuous and malicious" acts against Suarez, the lawsuit says. It was unclear whether Smith is still at LSU, and there is no listing for him in the LSU phone directory.
In April 2001, the school banned Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and will not allow the organization to return until at least 2006. The penalty stemmed from a hazing incident that injured a 20-year-old Marrero pledge so seriously that he required surgery to remove infected and dead tissue from his buttocks.

[Kevin]

If this actually occured....

Pretty damned sick. I'd assume it doesn't hold a candle to what many do though.

The article takes a pretty negative tone -- what does that Kappa Alpha Psi thing have to do with anything in that article? Or is the writer just trying to find other examples of how greek life is bad?

[Tom Earp]

hoosier, seems to be a lot of actusastions with little proof! Sounds like could be a lot of highp! ?

Please keep up updated if you will!

[cutetiger]

Being an ex-student from LSU, I think the thing with the Kappa's was to put it all in prospective. A couple of years ago, SAE was removed because of the death of a pledge from alcohol poisoning. The Kappa event was because he was paddled so much that his buttocks was permanently damaged. There was also an incident with some barnyard animals a couple of years ago, but I don't remember which frat that was.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by ktsnake
The article takes a pretty negative tone -- what does that Kappa Alpha Psi thing have to do with anything in that article? Or is the writer just trying to find other examples of how greek life is bad?

I simply need to point out something I have before. History is a very legitimate thing for a journalist to point out -- whether it is about one fraternity or an entire system.

It does not necessarily mean that the reporter is biased, but that he/she did the necessary research, etc.

[justamom]

For the sake of a point, I am going to assume it's true...

Greeks have a pretty good idea of what goes on, maybe not to the DEGREE, but if there is some form of hazing, it is NOT unknown.

This particular piece was news to me, but I wasn't shocked to see it. What DID surprise me was the fact that when I returned from New Orleans, Hubby had cut it out and placed it on the table for my son and me to read. (My son was in Baton Rouge at a fraternity party.) These boys who are going to rush aren't looking at fraternity rankings, they are ALL talking abut hazing. One argument that has been made BY A PARENT is-
If you know someone in the class ahead of you and THEY made it through compare yourself to them. Can you overcome what THEY did??? STUPID-STUPID! hank goodness they are NOT buying it!!!

These guys are the strongest rushees from this AREA. (I'm not exaggerating) It is clear to me that no matter who is considered number one, two or 17 on campus THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THEIR DECISION WILL BE THE REPUTATION FOR HAZING.

If they all decide to go to a fraternity that does not haze (and I do feel there are degrees) then so be it. It will only strengthen the one they join and they will be STRONG pulls for the next year.
Sometimes there are benefits to being a big fish in a littler pond.

[LeslieAGD]

Where's the link to this article?

[ztawinthropgirl]

I think hoosier is just an unhappy person that wasn't invited into a GLO.

[Optimist Prime]

This is absolutely sick. Hazing is pointless and stupid and proves absolutely nothing except blatant hypocracy.

[Moxie]

I think hoosier is just an unhappy person that wasn't invited into a GLO.

???

scpiano211, what does that assumption have to do with hoosier's simple and informative relaying of the NEWS?

you can find that article (or something really close to it) at the LSU Reveille site, http://www.lsureveille.com

[33girl]

moxie,
if you have seen some of his other posts and what he titles them, you might understand why scpiano would have that opinion.

[Moxie]

hah, i did go back and do a search and noticed that he does seem to have a negative point of view...most of the time. thanks for the correction, 33girl. as a newbie, i was just going by what i saw in this instance.

[Tom Earp]

moxie, you are wrong on all accounts!

hoosier has taken it upon himself to post for Our edification!

I get reports daily from a server as a few of us do.

hoosier reports it for our knowing what is going on. He is not editorializing, but just reporting it to us to see the stupidity that goes on around the country!

0h, by the way, hoosier is a respected member of his Fraternity, and it is not mine!

This is what the site is for, Risk Management and stupid things done to get Charters Yanked and booted off of campus!

Just whom does that help? You are no longer represented on that campus, just whose fault is it?

Maybe what he posts will hit home to some! Then maybe it will make a difference!