Family of Bowling Green State University student sues fraternity over son’s death after ‘hazing’ event
The parents of an Ohio sophomore at Bowling Green State University have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and several of its members, alleging that they orchestrated the hazing event that ultimately led to their son’s fatal alcohol poisoning.
Stone Foltz died on March 7, just days after he was found unresponsive in his apartment following a “Big/Little” fraternity event on March 4. A coroner later ruled his death an accident caused by a deadly level of alcohol intoxication.
An autopsy revealed the 20-year-old had a blood alcohol content of .35 at the time of his death, which is more than four times the legal limit.
According to a new lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, Foltz was the victim of “extensive hazing” and “forced to drink an extraordinary amount of alcohol in a short period of time.”
“The hazing caused bodily injury, emotional distress, and ultimately, Stone Foltz’s death,” the suit, cited by CNN, reads.
At one point during the March Pi Kappa Alpha event, Foltz and his fellow pledges were “blindfolded by active members and led into a basement area while being yelled at and pushed in an effort to disorient them.”
From there, the student was allegedly handed a bottle of alcohol, which he finished in just 18 minutes, according to the suit. Around 10 p.m., Foltz’s “older brother,” Jacob Krinn, walked him back to his apartment, where he was supposed to stay the night and ensure his pledge was safe.
“Instead, Stone Foltz was taken from the car into his apartment and left alone on the couch to die,” the suit stated.
Following Foltz’s death, the national fraternity said it was “heartbroken” and extended sympathy to “all of those affected by this senseless tragedy” and encouraged all members to cooperate with the investigation.
The most recent lawsuit, which names the national fraternity and the Bowling Green chapter, also accused the frat of having a history of hazing incidents that have resulted in several deaths since the 1960s and specifically cited complaints filed in 2018 and 2019.
“This fraternity has established a system that is toxic and dangerous to unsuspecting undergrads being persuaded to pledge,” it claimed
In April, the university expelled the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity after an investigation into the incident.
“This is permanent loss of recognition — the fraternity will never again be recognized at BGSU in the future,” university spokesperson Alex Solis said in a statement to CNN.
“This expulsion is because of hazing, which is absolutely intolerable. The University’s investigation found the fraternity to be reckless with a disregard for the health and safety of our community.”
The suit also takes aim at 20 fraternity members, both former and current — many of who are already facing criminal charges in Foltz’s death.
