LSU Bans Fraternity After Roswell Student's Death

BATON ROUGE, LA — Louisiana State University has banned a fraternity from organizing on its campus months after one of its pledges, a Roswell native, died following suspected hazing. Phi Delta Theta is barred from the campus through Dec. 31, 2032, a letter issued Wednesday by Associate Dean of Students Jonathan Sanders states.

Phi Delta Theta is the fraternity Roswell native Max Gruver was vying to join when he died Sept. 14, 2017, shortly after being taken to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. LSU notes the fraternity's actions the night before Gruver's death violated its Student Code of Conduct, "specifically violations of the alcohol, hazing and endangerment policies."

In LSU's letter rescinding the fraternity's registration on campus, it also asks that any national charter or affiliation the group has be revoked immediately. During this time, the fraternity and its affiliates may not sponsor or participate in any on-campus or off-campus events, solicit or initiate any new members or pledges or occupy or use any leased university property "unless and until the organization returns as a registered student organization in good standing."

Any pledges or members who were initiated during 2017-18 will not be affiliated with the fraternity's chapter. If LSU discovers an "underground pledge class group" in the name of the fraternity or any affiliation of the organization, this could result in an extension of the university's ban.

The death of Gruver, a freshman who graduated in 2017 from Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, is being investigated as stemming from a possible hazing incident (For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here).

East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Dr. William "Beau" Clark said the autopsy on Gruver, 18, did not reveal any internal or external trauma on or within his body. The autopsy's preliminary findings indicate Gruver suffered "marked cerebral and pulmonary edema," or swelling, and blood and urine tests conducted at the hospital show "highly elevated blood alcohol level" and the presence of THC in the student's urine. Gruver's blood alcohol level was determined to be .495 at the time of his death.

Before the fraternity can be reinstated, it must show that it's in compliance with LSU's re-chartering or reactivation policies for Greek Life organizations, attend annual educational sessions, clear any debt it may owe to the university and select an alumni advisory team to be approved by the fraternity and the university.

Following Gruver's passing, LSU formed a Task Force on Greek Life to come up with recommendations to help prevent similar deaths from occuring in the future. Some of these recommendations include refining the definition of hazing to include "physical or mental harm, intoxication, endangerment, and evasion and falsification of information"; reviewing changes to the policy on serving, possessing and consuming alcohol; requiring Greek programs to create a program for chapter member accountability and reporting; requiring each chapter to have a membership contract that outlines code of conduct; implementing a drug-free policy for chapter houses; and banning hard alcohol (beverages that have a ABV greater than 15 percent) and common source alcohol such as kegs and punch dispensers from chapter premises.

LSU police initially arrested and charged 10 students in connection with Gruver's death. However, last week, an East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury indicted four students related to the suspected hazing, The Advocate states. Matthew Alexander Naquin was indicted on a felony negligent homicide charge while Sean-Paul Gotto, Ryan Matthew Isto and Patrick Andrew Forde were indicted on one count each of misdemeanor hazing.

The grand jury issued a no bill for one student, Nicholas Taulli, meaning his charge of hazing was dropped, The Advocate states. It also said another student, Sean Penninson, was not considered for charges by the grand jury, and he was informed that the District Attorney's Office won't pursue any additional charges. The grand jury was not able to reach a consensus on charges under consideration for fellow students Hudson Kirkpatrick, Zachary Hall and Elliott Eaton, the media outlet notes.

Since the 18-year-old's death, Gruver's family has been pushing for legislation that would update the definition of hazing and strengthen the penalties associated with those incidents. The Max Gruver Act is under consideration in Louisiana's House of Representatives and is scheduled to be debated on the floor on March 28, state legislative records note.

"Keep supporting this important bill to stop hazing," the Max Gruver Foundation said on its Facebook page.

Image via Max Gruver Foundation