Death of Maxwell Gruver
Maxwell Gruver died in a
Gruver was one of several pledges who died in hazing rituals nationwide in 2017, including
Facts
Gruver's death was said by the coroner to have been caused by "acute alcohol intoxication with aspiration."
Grand jury
The grand jury declined to bring charges in one case and failed to reach consensus in four others. They indicted four men on charges of negligent homicide. There was no consensus whether the national fraternal organization was criminally liable for the death.[2]
Consequences
Matthew Naquin was convicted of negligent homicide in July 2019 for his role in the hazing. Naquin had previously been asked by other fraternity members to tone down interactions with pledges that they described as "extreme and dangerous".[4] In November 2019, Naquin was sentenced to five years in prison (of which one-half – 30 months – was immediately suspended), followed by three years probation.[5]
After the incident, the Louisiana State University chapter of Phi Delta Theta was suspended, until at least 2033, by the fraternity's national organization.[4] They also terminated the memberships of the accused, issuing a statement that the termination "effectively severs ties with those alleged to be involved."[3]
References
- ^ "9 Louisiana State frat members arrested and chapter closed over alleged hazing incidents". NBC News. February 14, 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ a b c d "LSU fraternity pledge's death leads to 4 indictments". CNN. March 17, 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ a b "Police issue warrants for 10 frat members after LSU student's death". CNN. October 11, 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ a b "Jury finds former student guilty in pledge's death". Associated Press. July 17, 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ Williams, Kourtney (2019-11-20). "Matthew Naquin sentenced to five years in prison". WVLA-TV. Archived from the original on 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-03-21.