Arrest warrants have been issued for ten Louisiana State University students for hazing and negligent homicide charges in connection with the death of Maxwell Gruver, a freshman pledge who died in September.
LSU says that all ten students, who are all members of LSU’s Phi Delta Theta fraternity, will be charged with hazing. One of the students, Matthew Alexander Naquin, will be charged with negligent homicide.
A police investigation has led authorities to believe that Gruver may have been forced to consume excessive amounts of alcohol during a game called “Bible Study” on the night before his death. Gruver, an 18-year-old LSU freshman from Roswell, Georgia, died on Thursday, September 14, after he was taken to a Baton Rouge hospital to be treated for an unspecified “medical emergency.” Gruver was also “highly intoxicated” the night before he died.
The “Bible Study” drinking game required pledges to drink if they incorrectly answered questions about the fraternity.
LSU released a statement naming the ten students who have arrest warrants:
Matthew Alexander Naquin, (charges of hazing and negligent homicide)
Zachary Castillo, (charge of hazing)
Elliott Eaton, (charge of hazing)
Patrick Forde, (charge of hazing)
Sean Paul Gott, (charge of hazing)
Zachary Hall, (charge of hazing)
Ryan Isto, (charge of hazing)
Hudson Kirkpatrick, (charge of hazing)
Sean Pennison, (charge of hazing)
Nicholas Taulli, (charge of hazing)
via New York Times:
“The death of Maxwell Gruver was tragic and untimely,” F. King Alexander, the university’s president, said in the statement. “There are allegations that Maxwell’s death was related to hazing, but I want to emphasize that this is an evolving situation.”
Mr. Alexander said that all fraternity and sorority activities at the school were suspended indefinitely. Recruitment at fraternities and sororities there ended last month.
Prosecutors Taking Tougher Stance in Fraternity Hazing Deaths MAY 8, 2017
The national office of Phi Delta Theta announced on Thursday evening that it had suspended the university’s chapter, adding that its officials had been working with the authorities in Louisiana. The office said that Mr. Gruver, who was from Roswell, Ga., was a prospective member at that chapter.“We’re committed to investigating this situation thoroughly,” Bob Biggs, the chief executive at Phi Delta Theta, said. “The chapter and any individuals who are found to have violated our policies will be held accountable.”
Following a search of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house, police reportedly seized multiple bottles of hard liquor, a glass smoking pipe, pain relievers, security cameras, a GoPro camera, beer cans, a pledge test and various biological samples.
