Month: December 2007

Family sues Rider over death Son died of alcohol poisoning during fraternity event Saturday, December 29, 2007 BY DARRYL R. ISHERWOOD

LAWRENCE — The family of Rider University freshman Gary DeVercelly Jr., who died last spring of alcohol poisoning after an apparent fraternity hazing, filed suit against the school yesterday claiming officials did not sufficiently supervise the on-campus fraternity house where the drinking occurred. Gary and Julie DeVercelly have filed a wrongful death suit naming the university, Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and four members of the Rider chapter of PKT, which was closed by school officials after De Vercelly’s death. The suit seeks an unspecified amount of money for DeVercelly’s death. Advertisement Reached yesterday, the DeVercellys said they had tried to settle with the university and force changes to student policies, but school officials resisted.

The couple said the Christmas season has been particularly hard without their son. “Since Gary’s death, we have given Rider every opportunity to do right by our family and make the changes necessary to protect other students,” the couple said in a statement. “Unfortunately, Rider has refused to resolve this matter without litigation. Our lawsuit identifies specifically how Rider University caused the death of our son as well as aided and abetted the fraternity and others in doing the same. Our lawsuit also seeks to hold Rider, and all others involved, financially responsible for their reckless conduct that caused Gary’s death and forever harmed our family.”

In response to the suit, Rider President Mordechai Rozanski also referenced an attempted settlement, but said the university was willing to continue talks. “The university, the DeVercelly family and their legal representatives met in mid-December to find an appropriate means of settling the family’s claim against Rider without the need for litigation,” Rozanski said. “That effort was not successful, and despite the university’s willingness to continue the dialogue, the family chose today to file a civil action against Rider and certain individuals. We disagree with the allegations in that filing and will contest them vigorously.”

The national office of Phi Kappa Tau has been largely silent since DeVercelly’s death, initially denying the incident was the result of hazing. Reached by e-mail yesterday, Steve Hartman, chief executive officer of the national office in Ohio, would not comment on the lawsuit, saying he had not yet seen it. “During this holiday season, we continue to be mindful of the De Vercelly family and what they are experiencing,” he said in the e-mail. The lawsuit alleges that the university placed live-in fraternity houses under far less scrutiny than other campus residence halls. Stu dent house managers hired to oversee the fraternity houses were nominated by the fraternity membership and faced less scrutiny than their counterparts in the non- Greek residence halls, the suit al leges. In addition to the university and the national fraternity, the suit also names four students, all members of the local PKT chapter. Three of the four, a House Manager, President Mike Torney and Pledge Master Dominic Olsen were also named in a criminal indictment last summer, while the fourth, Vincent Calogero, was not charged. The suit alleges that as part of the initiation event, DeVercelly, 18, drank Absolut vodka during the fraternity’s “Big/Little” night. After finishing more than two thirds of the bottle, authorities have said DeVercelly passed out. An hour later, fraternity members dialed 911 and DeVercelly was rushed to an area hospital. He never regained consciousness and died March 30. His blood alcohol level was 0.426, more than five times the legal limit to drive. Washington, D.C., attorney Douglas Fierberg, who represents the DeVercellys, said it was the four fraternity members’ inclusion or approval of the ritual and their failure to get DeVercelly the help he needed when he was dying that caused their inclusion in the suit. “I think it’s fair to say they directly or through the actions of their fraternity brothers put Gary in a position of peril where he needed their help to stay alive,” he said. “They were in a position to get Gary the help he needed to live and he would have lived if they had sought that help.” Law enforcement officials established that fraternity members waited an hour after DeVercelly first became ill before summoning paramedics. None of the four could be reached for comment yesterday. Fierberg struck an ominous tone yesterday when he alluded to the university’s culpability in the suit. “Rider University (officials) know that this litigation will expose serious additional wrongdoing on behalf of the university and its personnel, which we are currently prevented from disclosing,” he said. “When that happens, and it will, Rider will have many new questions to answer.” University officials would not comment on specific allegations contained in the suit. As a result of his death, a grand jury indicted two university administrators as well as the three stu dents who were members of the PKT fraternity. Charges against the two administrators were dropped in August and both the house manager and Olsen qualified for pre-trial intervention, which allowed the charges to be dropped after a period of community service. Torney refused PTI and could still face trial.

In the wake of DeVercelly’s death, the Phi Kappa Tau chapter was closed and the university instituted several reforms, including the formation of a new university-employed housing director position to live in each of the campus’s fraternity houses. “We are confident with the continuing implementation of the initiatives that we will make Rider a safer, healthier and stronger learning community for our students,” said Debbie Stasolla, who was vice chairwoman of a presidential panel that looked at the university’s alcohol and fraternity life policies after DeVercelly’s death. Contact Darryl Isherwood at Disherwood@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5708.

 

“Unfounded” hazing incident under investigation

Updated: Dec 21, 2007 01:01 AM
Hazing investigation

Sandra Chapman/Eyewitness News

Spencer – Family members of two teenaged boys say freshman hazing at a small Indiana high school is nothing short of criminal.

Last week, both students reported they were violently grabbed, restrained and subjected to lewd sexual acts by a group of athletes.

It happened at Owen Valley High School in Spencer.  That’s just south of Bloomington.

Now the serious allegations are under review by state and local authorities.

Pinned down in the back of the school bus on the way home from a game of hoops, a 15-year old freshman says he was the target of a humiliating initiation by members of the Owen Valley High School basketball team.

“This is an initiation.  That the freshman are going to be got in some fashion.  They did involve private areas — genitals.  The precise definition would be criminal deviate conduct,” said Bloomington Attorney Betsy Greene.

She is representing not one but two freshman at the school who describe vulgar attacks by the same group of athletes.

The second one happened a day after the bus incident before basketball practice.   The student says two players grabbed him in the locker room while another approached exposing himself.

“He was touched in a very inappropriate manner and in inappropriate places,” explained Greene.

That student says he was able to break free.  Parents for both young men involved are furious.  We spoke with one family member by phone.  We’re withholding his name to protect the student’s privacy.

That relative says he’s especially concerned that freshman are the alleged targets. “They’re extremely vulnerable so it’s even much more important that they have somebody in coaching, administration to stand up for them,” he told Eyewitness News.

The families reported the school attacks to the Spencer Police Department.

The department would not allow Eyewitness News to see the report.

At the school, we caught up with the Assistant Superintendent, who told us he could not comment about the situation and referred us to Dr. Marsha Turner-Shear — the Owen Valley Superintendent.

Eyewitness News made several efforts to speak with the Dr. Turner-Shear but our repeated calls to her office were not returned.

The families say they are less than pleased with how it’s all being handled.

“Every member from coaching on up has demonstrated that behind (closed) doors their policy is to avoid conflict, avoid an up-stir,” said the relative.

They want to know if the coaches were aware of the alleged hazing – an experience Greene, who is also a former child abuse prosecutor, says no young man should have to endure.

“It’s my hope that my clients won’t be horribly affected by this.  The goal of the families at this point it to make sure that nothing of this nature happens to another student and that high school,” because according to Greene, “It’s wrong. It’s just wrong.”

Days after Eyewitness News was first notified about the attacks, Superintendent Turner-Shear said the report was unfounded.

Now multiple investigations are underway including a referral to Child Protective Services.

24. Mai 2007

Schrift:
TÖDLICHE TESTS VON US-STUDENTEN
“Im Keller hört dich niemand schreien”

Von Anja Schröder

3. Teil: Warum George W. Bush das “Brandmarken” mit einem glühenden Eisen harmlos fand
ANZEIGE

Am nächsten Morgen fand man Gordie leblos auf dem Sofa der Verbindungsbibliothek. Im Blut hatte er 3,28 Promille, auf seine Haut waren rassistische und erniedrigende Sprüche geschrieben. Als jemand endlich einen Krankenwagen rief, war Gordie tot.

“Niemand konnte sich vorstellen, dass man durch Alkohol sterben kann”, sagt Jack. Mit der Alkohol-Aufklärung sei es wie mit der Erziehung zu sexueller Abstinenz: “An den Schulen sagt man den Leuten: ‘Tu das nicht, das ist schlecht!’ Aber die Kids machen es eben trotzdem.” Seit dem Tod seines Freundes tourt der 20-Jährige deshalb durch Hörsäle im ganzen Land, um seine Altersgenossen “realistisch” über Alkoholvergiftungen aufzuklären.

Manche Unis wollen es nicht mehr darauf ankommen lassen. Nach dem Tod eines 21-jährigen “Zeta Beta Tau”-Bruders wurden an der Alfred University in New York 2002 praktisch alle Verbindungen verboten. In Princeton, wo es laut Janet Dickerson, Vice President for Campus Life, “seit vielen Jahren Spannungen” zwischen Universität und “Greeks” gibt, erkennt man die Verbindungen offiziell nicht an. Stattdessen verschickt Dickerson Briefe, mit denen die Erstsemester angeregt werden sollen, zweimal über eine Mitgliedschaft nachzudenken. Trotzdem entscheiden sich geschätzte 15 Prozent aller “Freshmen” nach wie vor für die Greeks, die ihre Treffen abseits des Campus abhalten.

Bush war schon 1967 Mr. President – in einer Verbindung

Manchmal bekommt Hank Nuwer, der ein Anti-Hazing-Blog betreibt, wütende E-Mails. “Niemals würde ich den neuen Pledges das vorenthalten, was ich erfahren habe”, schreibt ein Verbindungsbruder. Denn Hazing habe seine “Pledge Class” zu einer einzigartigen Einheit geschweißt: “Wir waren wie ein Bataillon, wie eine Armee.” Derartige Kommentare, sagt Nuwer, kämen bisweilen auch von Prominenten. Und berühmte Alumni gibt es genug.

George W. Bush als Yale-Student: “Nur eine Zigaretten-Brandwunde”
Großbildansicht
AP

George W. Bush als Yale-Student: “Nur eine Zigaretten-Brandwunde”
Einer davon wurde bereits in einem Artikel über “sadistische und obszöne Initiationsriten” an der Universität Yale 1967 in der “New York Times” zitiert. Das Brandmarken der Pledges mit einem glühenden Eisen, so der 21-jährige Yale-Student und ehemalige “Delta Kappa Epsilon”-Präsident, verursache “nur eine Zigaretten-Brandwunde”, weshalb er die Aufregung auf dem Campus nicht verstehe. Der Student hieß George W. Bush.

Mehr als 35 Jahre ist es her, dass in Stanford ein Laborversuch abgebrochen werden musste, weil im Keller des Psychologie-Departments Studenten zu Folterern ohne Hemmschwelle geworden waren. Und es scheint, dass die Grenzen bis heute allzu leicht verschwimmen – zwischen Spaß und Ernst; Einbildung und Wirklichkeit; Recht und Unrecht.

Auf dem ersten Foto einer inzwischen berühmten Serie aus dem irakischen Gefängnis Abu Ghureib, so der frühere Army Reserve Specialist Joe Darby in einem ABC-Interview, sei die Pyramide mit den Nackten gewesen: “Es wirkte wie etwas, was man auch in einer Studentenverbindung am College finden würde.” Da habe er noch gelacht. Doch nachdem er alle Fotos angeschaut hatte, sei ihm klar geworden, dass er eine Entscheidung treffen musste.

Drei Tage lang zögerte der damals 24-Jährige. Im Januar 2004 übergab er der Army Criminal Investigation Division eine Foto-CD und machte damit den Skandal von Abu Ghureib öffentlich. In seiner Heimatstadt in Cumberland im US-Bundesstaat Maryland haben sie ihn einen Verräter geschimpft. Und für so manchen wäre er vielleicht auch ein schlechter Bruder. Einer, der ein Geheimnis nicht für sich behalten konnte.

* zurück
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* 1. Teil: “Im Keller hört dich niemand schreien”
* 2. Teil: Party-Trinken bis zum Delirium – oder gleich bis in den Tod
* 3. Teil: Warum George W. Bush das “Brandmarken” mit einem glühenden Eisen harmlos fand

Todesfälle traten dabei zunächst nur vereinzelt auf. Doch seit den achtziger Jahren sind sie – nicht selten in Verbindung mit Alkohol – zur jährlichen Routine geworden. Und während manche Colleges früher noch in Verdacht standen, Ermittlungen aus Angst vor Rufschädigung nicht konsequent voranzutreiben, haben heute praktisch alle Universitäten eine deutliche Anti-Hazing-Politik. Und auch die “Greeks” selbst haben ihre Statuten längst neu geschrieben. Denn seit Ende der achtziger Jahre führte laut der Fraternity Insurance Purchasing Group eine Reihe millionenschwerer Zivilklagen dazu, dass Studentenverbindungen auf der Risikoliste der Versicherer an sechster Stelle geführt wurden – gleich hinter Sondermülldeponien und Asbestfirmen.

Die Situation habe sich mittlerweile zwar “verbessert”, sagt Claire Wilkinson vom Insurance Information Institute in New York. Dennoch sind Verbindungspartys, die vorher bei der Polizei angemeldet werden müssen, keine Seltenheit, genauso wie Verbindungshaus-Brände, die Studenten das Leben kosten. Dazu komme, dass jetzt immer mehr Hazing-Fälle sofort strafrechtlich verfolgt würden, so der Anwalt Douglas Fierberg aus Washington, D. C., der bereits zahlreiche Opfer vertreten hat.

Eine neue Null-Toleranz-Politik will man bei der North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), die 68 männliche Studentenverbindungen repräsentiert, kommunizieren. “Wir haben deutlich gemacht, dass Hazing kein Spaß, sondern ein schwerer Verstoß gegen unsere Standards ist”, sagt Vizepräsident Pete Smithhisler, der nicht bestreiten möchte, “dass es ein Problem gibt”. Doch die Fälle, über die in den Medien berichtet werde, seien keineswegs die Norm: “Hazing hat nicht das Geringste mit dem zu tun, wofür wir stehen.”

Der Verband habe, so Smithhisler, “unzählige Stunden” investiert, um die jungen Brüder an Colleges im ganzen Land zu erziehen. Und so liest sich dann auch die dritte von insgesamt neun Basic Expectations der NIC folgendermaßen: “Ich werde die Würde jedes einzelnen achten; deshalb werde ich keinen Menschen körperlich, geistig, psychisch oder sexuell missbrauchen oder verletzen.”

Die “Hell Week” für Neulinge

Doch riskante Mutproben scheinen viele Bewerber nicht abzuschrecken. Hinter allem, so die Psychologin und Hazing-Expertin Susan Lipkins, stehe ein Prinzip: “Man will sich und anderen beweisen, dass man es wert ist, in die Gruppe aufgenommen zu werden.” Während Jungs zu körperlicher Gewalt neigten, praktizierten Mädchen subtilere Dinge – wie etwa nach Körbchengröße geordnetes Aufreihen ohne Oberteil oder Einkringeln von Fettpolstern mit Filzstiften. Der Phantasie sind kaum Grenzen gesetzt, denn in einem Kreislauf von Hierarchie und Tradition fühle man sich “im Recht, anderen das anzutun, was man selbst durchgemacht hat”.

Dazu gehört nicht selten die sogenannte “Hell Week”. Für Smithhisler ist das nur ein “veralteter Begriff”, den heute “keine Verbindung mehr” gutheiße. Für Brian waren es “drei oder vier sehr intensive Tage” am Ende seiner Pledge-Zeit. “Genau weißt du es nicht, weil du dein Zeitgefühl verlierst, wenn du im Dunkeln eingesperrt bist und nicht schlafen darfst.” Stattdessen stundenlanges Rennen im Kreis, Tritte gegen den Oberkörper, Bananenschalen und Zigarettenkippen zum Essen und ein Urin-Gemisch zum Einreiben. “Am Schluss hast du einen Pizza-Karton als Kopfkissen gekriegt.”

Niemand weiß, in wie vielen Verbindungen derartige Züchtigungen an der Tagesordnung sind. In einer Befragung von rund 700 College-Studenten aus dem Jahr 2002 gaben 36 Prozent an, mindestens einmal Hazing begangen zu haben, wobei das Problem nicht auf Studentenverbindungen begrenzt zu sein scheint: Vor allem in Sportteams, aber auch beim Militär und an Schulen werden fragwürdige “Rituale” vermutet. Allerdings: Die College-Atmosphäre scheint besonders anfällig zu machen. Und ein möglicher Grund könnte der hohe Anteil der besinnungslosen Party-Trinker (mehr…) sein, bei denen die “Greeks” diversen Studien zufolge zahlreich vertreten sind.

Einer davon war Gordie Bailey. Der 18-Jährige hatte gerade angefangen, an der University of Colorado zu studieren. Er war ein guter Student, Sportler, Mitglied der Theatergruppe, bei allen beliebt, als er am Abend des 16. September 2004 mit verbundenen Augen neben 26 anderen Pledges im Wald bei Gold Hill saß, um seine Aufnahme in den örtlichen “Chi Psi”-Verband mit unzähligen Gläsern Bourbon Whiskey und kalifornischem Wein zu besiegeln. “Niemand hat Gordie gezwungen zu trinken”, sagt Jack Gilles, der in besagter Nacht wie Bailey zu den Pledges gehörte. Stattdessen habe er sich wohl “zumindest teilweise beweisen” wollen.

Rider U. ex-frat president shuns plea deal in hazing death
by Linda Stein/The Times
Monday December 17, 2007, 10:44 AM

The president of a now disbanded fraternity Monday turned down a plea offer to a charge of fourth-degree hazing that would have resulted in probation and community service in Rider University case that resulted in the alcohol poisoning death of Gary DeVercelly Jr. an 18-year-old freshman.
Martin Griff/The TimesRider University student Michael Torney leaves Mercer County Superior Court in Trenton with his parents on Aug. 10.
However, Superior Court Judge Mitchel Ostrer ordered Michael Torney, 21, to submit to an alcohol and drug use evaluation as a condition of his bail. Torney is free on his own recognizance.

Two other student defendants were admitted into the Pretrial Intervention Program, which is open to first-time, nonviolent offenders. Charges were dismissed against two university administrators who had been indicted by a Mercer County grand jury, an action that caused consternation among university officials nationwide.

Gary DeVerchelly Sr., who was in the courtroom for the brief status conference, said, “It’s been a terrible tragedy for our family. We feel (Torney) is partly responsible.”

Torney, of Randolph, had hired a new lawyer as co-counsel, Edward Bilinkas, who said he needed time to familiarize himself with the case.

“I know this kid,” Bilinkas said. “He’s a good kid. We want to make sure all the T’s are crossed and the I’s are dotted.” Bilinkas said that although Torney was president of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, he was not in the room when the drinking occured and did not supply liquor to those who were there.

All: Here is an article from the U-Maryland Diamonback on ZBT hazing. Compare to Beta Theta Pi charges in Calif.  Police responses to hazing vary from indifference to abdicating responsibility to school officials…to actual placing of charges.

University officials have not contacted police about a student injured in a Zeta Beta Tau initiation ceremony days after the fraternity’s national chapter took action about the incident and months after administrators learned about it.

A state anti-hazing law prohibits putting students at risk of injury during school-related initiations. The university has identified activities that it considers hazing more broadly than state law.

Two high-ranking student leaders within the fraternity have also declined to comment on the incident, which the Zeta Beta Tau national organization determined violated the organization’s risk-management policy this week.

Student Government Association President Andrew Friedson condemned the act of hazing, but he would not comment specifically about his fraternity. Interfraternity Council President Arkady Gelman also declined to comment, saying he was waiting for the university to finish its investigation.

According to an Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life memo, in October, new members of the fraternity were seated in a circle and forced to chant the names of Zeta Beta Tau’s founders. If they misspoke, senior fraternity brothers poured water over their heads. At one point in the night, the water mixed with the Shout gel placed in a new member’s hair, injuring him.

Both OSFL and Zeta Beta Tau declined to specify the nature of the injury.

As the university conducts its own investigation into the incident, officials have not contacted police.

Although hazing is illegal in Maryland, Assistant Director of the Office of Student Conduct Tamara Saunders, who is leading the investigation, said the university only brings police in on a “situational” basis when investigating hazing.

Lt. Bernard Snowden of the Prince George’s County Police said in hazing cases it is traditionally the individual’s responsibility to contact the police.

Saunders said the university received new information about the incident this week, but could not say when the university will officially wrap up its investigation.
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