Archive for September 2010

Donnie and Katrina Wade, the parents of Donnie Wade II, a 20-year-old biology major at Prairie View A&M University who died in a hazing incident in 2009 have settled their wrongful death lawsuit against the fraternity their son was pledging.

According to a report from Prairie View A&M University, the University found that Donnie Wade II and other pledges were exposed to “unreasonable risk or harm” when ordered to participate in intense exercise drills. During one of those early morning drills, Donnie Wade II collapsed on the Hempstead High School track and never regained consciousness. Instead of calling for an ambulance, fraternity members drove him to a Houston hospital. The medical examiner ruled that Wade died as a result of acute exertional rhabdomyolysis, which can be triggered by strenuous exertion. This medical syndrome, which leads to muscle degeneration, has been linked to the sudden deaths of military recruits and athletes.

Phi Beta Sigma’s chapter was disbanded this spring after a university review board determined that members violated hazing rules and plotted a cover-up after Wade’s death. To further ensure that this fraternity does not simply re-organize and re-open a chapter at the university, the university sanctioned Phi Beta Sigma with a suspension lasting through December 2014 and a probation ending in May 2015.

This case presents a very typical type of hazing case. Usually, the fraternity pledges are forced to undergo certain rituals, exercises or to participate in activities that lead to others being injured or killed. Often, alcohol is involved and the fraternity members engage in these activities every year under the banner of “tradition” to make the pledges feel as as a test of loyalty and unity. These hazing activities often are considered a rite of passage that the victim must endure before the victim is permitted to become an official member of the group. These rites of passage tend to focus on efforts to humiliate, embarrass and often times even involve physical or sexual assault that may cause permanent physical and mental injuries, and in some cases even result in death. Then, after the fact, the group involved often tends to “circle the wagon” to protect the organization and the individuals involved as part of the Code of Silence. Education and enforcement of anti-hazing policies and laws appear to be the best ways to combat this counter-culture and to expose these groups and behaviors. Holding those involved accountable is an important step towards stopping the cycle of abuse so that others will know that these illegal behaviors will not be tolerated.

If you or a loved one is seriously injured or killed as a result of a hazing incident, it is important that you take action quickly to protect your rights. Communicating in writing with the appropriate organizational, educational and police authorities to properly and timely document your complaints is extremely important. Some schools and universities have extremely short deadlines (sometimes as short as 48 hours from the time of the incident) in their Codes of Conduct to report such conduct if you desire for the institution to take any action. If you find yourself in this situation, you need to know your rights and take action quickly to protect those rights.

Montes Law Group, P.C.
Attorney: Rachel Montes