Students Convicted Of Hazing Will Be Expelled From LSU: President

ROSWELL, GA — Months after a 2017 Blessed Trinity Catholic High School graduate died after suspected hazing activities at Louisiana State University, the college has released recommendations it believes will reduce the chances of similar fatal actions from occuring in the future. The 28 recommendations, which were issued by LSU’s Task Force on Greek Life, have been accepted by President F. King Alexander.

The Task Force was formed following the Sept. 14, 2017, death of Maxwell Gruver, 18, who died shortly after being taken to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital from a fraternity house. East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Dr. William "Beau" Clark said the autopsy on Gruver, 18, a Roswell, Georgia, native, did not reveal any internal or external trauma on or within his body.

Gruver, a freshman at the university, was a pledge with Phi Delta Theta and his death 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).

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. THC is the chemical compound in marijuana that causes the feeling of euphoria. Gruver's blood alcohol level was determined to be .495 at the time of his death.

Some of the Task Force's 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.

On top of the 28 recommendations, Alexander also tacked on additional items the university will do to prevent a death such as Gruver's. Among these items include removing or expelling anyone from campus if they engage in hazing.

"If a Greek organization, or any student organization for that matter, is found to be responsible for hazing
(i.e., any activity involving alcohol, physical abuse, or any behavior that puts a student’s mental or physical health at risk), their chapter will be removed from the university – no exceptions," he added. "Similarly, individuals found guilty of such behavior after due process will be expelled from the university. A narrowed, clear-cut definition of what precisely constitutes hazing will allow the university to respond swiftly and appropriately."

Alexander also calls for requiring Greek Life organizations to provide the university with rights to conduct spot checks at parties and other events. LSU also will use the services of a national firm to evaluate existing policies, review current organizational structures and to develop an educational program for Greek organizations, the president added.

LSU expects to implement the recommendations between now and the fall of 2018. Alexander added these solutions will not be stand-alone policy implementations, but will be part of a comprehensive approach LSU will undertake to ensure its students are safe.

"Cultural change is a process, and this should be considered the first step in a marathon, not a sprint," he said in his letter. "We are committed to real change, and I believe our students, staff, and faculty stand behind me on that assertion. As I have stated before, there will be no return to 'normal.' This marks the start of wholesale change to the policies and culture surrounding Greek Life and other student organizations at LSU."

In a statement, Gruver's family expressed skepticism at the report's recommendations, adding that they are examples of what happens when the Task Force consists of members who have "vested interests" in maintaining the status quo.

"In reality, it proffers no real meaningful changes to Greek Life that would have prevented the death of our son, any other injuries or sexual assaults that have plagued LSU's fraternities," the family states.

Ten people were arrested in connection with Gruver's death: nine face hazing charges while the 10th person is charged with one count each of hazing and negligent homicide. Gruver's death resulted in the Phi Delta Theta's general headquarters revoking the LSU fraternity's charter. Following the police filed charges, the organization in December said it expelled 16 members from the chapter.

"As we have said from the outset of this tragedy, we want the authorities to prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law," Phi Delta Theta said in a statement. "This tragedy has made us consider bold reforms to ensure that we are an organization that is free from harm or danger to any individual."

The Max Gruver Foundation has been established to ensure death resulting from hazing incidents do not occur on college campuses. You can learn more about that organization by visiting its website. You can also view the full list of the Task Force's recommendations by clicking here.

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Image via Max Gruver Foundation