Students

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Hazing Victim's Father Mulling Lawsuit For Suspended Salisbury University Chapter

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The father of a Salisbury University (SU) student who was allegedly victimized in a hazing incident with the school's Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity is considering filing a lawsuit.

According to the Daily Times of Salisbury, the alleged hazing incident took place in 2012 when Justin Stuart, a freshman at the time, was pledging for the school's SAE chapter.

Justin's father, Henry, is reportedly unhappy with the chapter's suspension and is considering filing a lawsuit. Justin, on the other hand, has since transferred to the University of Maryland.

Documents from the SU police and the school detailed acts like beating pledges with a paddle, forcing them to drink alcohol until nearly passing out and having them dress in drag.

Bloomberg News published an investigative report in late Dec. with a firsthand account from Justin Stuart. He said he was forced to strip down to his underwear and stand in a garbage can filled with ice while SAE members sprayed him with a hose, all while he tried to recite the fraternity creed.

Stuart said the initiation for pledges lasted eight weeks and he had to endure the physical abuse among other initiation tasks. With the promise of high social status on campus and a job on Wall Street after graduation, Stuart said he had to sit in a dark basement for up to nine hours at a time listening to the same heavy metal song on repeat while deprived of food, water or a bathroom.

"It honestly reminded me of Guantanamo Bay," Stuart told Bloomberg News. "It was almost like torture."

SAE is one of the country's largest fraternities and, since 2006, has accounted for more deaths than any other. Since 2005, there have been 60 deaths in the U.S. related to a fraternity and nine have had an affiliation to SAE. While not all are directly related to hazing, it is becoming a growing problem on many campuses.

CLICK HERE for an infographic from Bloomberg News and READ the full investigative report.

SAE publicly condemned the SU chapter in a lengthy statement. READ it in full HERE.

"Any member who participates in hazing or behavior that violates our policies, mission or creed is subject to disciplinary action by the national organization, including complete removal of membership. Those individuals and their actions are in no way representative of the fraternity, nor do their actions stand for what we stand for," read the statement. "We regret that, just like any large organization or company, we have had individuals or former members who failed to live up to our expectations or who violated our policies, and their actions are inexcusable. They reflect poorly on Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and they do not represent us."

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