Five Tulane students with the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity have been arrested and arrest warrants have been issued for five more in connection with an alleged hazing incident that left two pledges with severe burns.
According to NOPD spokesman Gary Flot, the fraternity members have been charged with second-degree battery for the alleged incident that they say happened on April 25 around 10:30 p.m. Sources close to the situation told Eyewitness News that the allegations involve pouring boiling water on the pledges. The NOPD says the two victims were treated for severe burns at the hospital.
Frank D’Amico, Jr., a local attorney, represents one of the pledges allegedly burned. According to D’Amico, more than 10 men were burned with crab boil and pepper spray; it was part of Pi Kappa’s “Hell Night†for pledge initiation. At least two pledges were severely burned and reported it to police.
D’Amico said that members of the house mixed up the boiling concoction and poured over the bodies of the pledges until they screamed to stop. The attorney added that his client suffered second and third degree burns.
“He was in shock when it happened,†D’Amico said. “They took him to the hospital and told him to fabricate a story of how he got burned. He’s not psychologically able to deal with everything.â€
After the arrests, the university released an official statement. “Tulane University has suspended the Eta Chapter of the Pi Kappa Alpha [Pike] Fraternity as the result of a hazing violation in which some members sustained injuries. This fraternity is no longer a recognized fraternity at Tulane.†The statement added the university has a “zero tolerance†for hazing that can result in the harm of student, and that Tulane is cooperating with police.
Arrested were Joseph Lorono of New York, Randall Graham of Michigan, Nicholas Maddern of Massachusetts, Kevin Dunn of New York and Jeremy Bendat of California.
Police have arrest warrants out for Danny Lazzeri, Joseph Stevens, Williams Dougherty, Oded Nissim and Preston Gelman.The Pi Kappa Alpha house is located in the 1000 block of Broadway.
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