Family Claims Hazing Led to Penn. State Student’s Suicide in Lawsuit
The lawsuit is against Penn State University and the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity.
The family of a Penn State Altoona student who killed himself in 2014 is suing the school and a fraternity, arguing that hazing caused his death.
In the lawsuit the family says Marquise Braham was hazed for months before jumping off the roof of a New York hotel the day before he was supposed to return to his fraternity, according to ABC News.
Braham’s death caused the suspension of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity chapter he belonged to, which is set to last for six years.
RELATED: How to Assess Your Hazing Prevention and Response Program
The lawsuit states that as a freshman rushing the fraternity, Braham was forced to consume large quantities of alcohol, eat live fish, stay awake for 89 straight hours and had a gun held to his head.
After being accepted Braham was forced to watch the hazing activities of the next round of pledges. “He struggled deeply with having to witness and participate in the hazing of others,” said the suit.
The lawsuit also argues the university knew Braham was suffering but did nothing with the information and sought to cover up the hazing by destroying evidence.
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