Author: Hank Nuwer
Journalist Hank Nuwer tracks hazing deaths in fraternities and schools. Nuwer is the Alaska author of Hazing: Destroying Young Lives; Broken Pledges: The Deadly Rite of Hazing, High School Hazing, Wrongs of Passage and The Hazing Reader. In April of 2024 and April 2025 , the Alaska Press Club awarded him first place in the Best Columnist division.
He has written articles or columns on hazing for the Sunday Times of India, Toronto Globe & Mail, Harper's Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, The Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times Sunday Magazine. His current book is Hazing: Destroying Young Lives from Indiana University Press. He is married to Malgorzata Wroblewska Nuwer of Fairbanks, Alaska. Nuwer is a former columnist for the Greenville (Ohio)Early Bird and former managing editor of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Alaska.
Nuwer was named the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists columnist of the year in 2021 for his “After Darke” column in the Early Bird. He also won third place for the column in 2022 from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He and his wife Gosia, recently of Union City, Ind., have owned 20 acres in Alaska for many years. “The move is a sort-of coming home for us,” said Nuwer. As a journalist, he’s written about the Alaskan Iditarod sled-dog race and other Alaska topics. Read his musings in his blog at Real Alaska Daily--http://realalaskadaily.com
I had a question from a writer regarding recent cumulative numbers in fraternity hazing deaths with regard to alcohol presence.
Numbers may be too low to conclude “alcohol and hazing” trends in my opinion but it is worth looking at.
In summer I will find out via FOIA if alcohol was a factor in the 2 of 18 deaths* where it MIGHT have been a factor but officers did not report alcohol use to my knowledge.
2004-2012 Hazing and alcohol
14 of 18 possible hazing or pledging-related deaths 2004-2012 directly involved alcohol and hazing among pledges and/or members
2 of 18 apparent hazing-related deaths 2004-2012 have little or ZERO evidence alcohol was a factor.
2 of 18 deaths by apparent hazing 2004-2012 MiGHT have possible alcohol use but investigation by officers did not focus on alcohol use, making two cases inconclusive re alcohol use during pledging. (I will do a FOIA check in summer to see if alcohol was issue–at least in the coroner’s estimation. The two are at Lenoir-Rhyne and Cal-Irvine).*
The numbers may be too low to make more than anecdotal conclusions. But let us give the 18 a look.
Thus, what do we know? 14 of 18 deaths 2004-2012 definitely were hazing-and alcohol-related, but two of the 18 had ZERO publicized evidence that hazing/w/alcohol was a factor.
Two deaths* were, in my opinion, not as thoroughly investigated with regard to alcohol use as most other hazing cases have been but perhaps the coroners’ reports may shed some additional light.
Can we draw any conclusions about hazing deaths from this relatively low number of deaths? Perhaps not. Number is very low. We also need to get the coroner conclusions on the two deaths I have questions about with regard to whether alcohol was present in pledges or members at time of death. Thanks. Moderator.
This is impressive work for any high school group of students. Kudos to the adviser and staff. Moderator
Except from the school newspaper:
Hazing issues have led to the temporary suspension of another fraternity at the College of William and Mary. The Alpha Eta chapter of Sigma Pi faces interim suspension regarding alleged Student Conduct Code violations.
The disciplinary action follows the recent suspension of the College’s chapter of Phi Kappa Tau, also on hazing charges.
The Office of the Dean of Students received information about an alleged serious hazing incident during Sigma Pi pledging. According to Associate Dean of Students David Gilbert, this is Sigma Pi’s first violation at the College recently.
“The allegation is that fraternity members engaged in an activity where newly recruited members were forced to drink alcohol,” Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler ’88 Ph.D. ’06 said in an email. “Due to the serious nature of the charge, we issued an interim suspension of activities pending the outcome of the investigation.”
Boton Globe excerpt:
“A wrestling coach who was fired from Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School after hazing allegations surfaced last month is threatening to sue for back pay and contends that serious hazing on other sports teams has been ignored, according to his lawyer.
Paul F. Wynn, a lawyer representing former wrestling coach Jeff Francis, sent a letter to the Globe on Feb. 27 to “refute the false allegations’’ that Francis was involved in an alleged hazing episode that took place at a wrestling practice.”