38 fraternity members charged in hazing death at New York college

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

The death of a 19-year-old student has shone a light on a ritual known as the “glass ceiling” in which young people pledging to join a fraternity at a New York university were blindfolded while wearing a weighted backpack, and forced to get through a line of fraternity brothers outdoors in a freezing Pennsylvania winter, while being shoved, tackled and struck repeatedly.

On Tuesday, officials announced that 38 members of Pi Delta Psi fraternity at Baruch College in Manhattan had been criminally charged for their participation in the “brutal” 2013 ritual, which left Chun Deng dead from multiple, massive traumas. Five were charged with third-degree murder.

After Deng lost consciousness, a grand jury heard in 2014, brothers contacted the national fraternity president, Andy Meng, instead of calling for immediate medical assistance. Meng encouraged the group to “hide all fraternity items”, according to a press release from Pocono police.

Over the course of two hours, the release said, various individuals left the residence, changed Deng’s clothing and conducted internet searches in an attempt to diagnose his condition.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/15/new-york-college-fraternity-charged-hazing-death

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Nicky Woolf and agencies
Tuesday 15 September 2015 18.15 BST

[TubbersUK]

1. I'm lost for words:

"After Deng lost consciousness, a grand jury heard in 2014, brothers contacted the national fraternity president, Andy Meng, instead of calling for immediate medical assistance. Meng encouraged the group to “hide all fraternity items”, according to a press release from Pocono police.

Over the course of two hours, the release said, various individuals left the residence, changed Deng’s clothing and conducted internet searches in an attempt to diagnose his condition."

[shenmue]

2. They beat a man to death

For what?

[Frustratedlady]

3. I hope this follows them the rest of their lives.

These stunts are not only irresponsible and dangerous, they show the ignorance of the so-called privileged and their willingness to lord over those below them.

Makes me sick to my stomach what this young man went through before he died.

[LiberalElite]

6. Baruch is a good school but I'm not sure

how many of the students are all that privileged. It's part of the City University of New York.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/baruch-cuny-4766

I'm not making excuses for any of these idiots, just passing on a little info about the school. I hope they pay dearly.

[Frustratedlady]

7. Thanks for the info. I was thinking privileged as in being able to afford a fraternity.

Maybe that doesn't enter into the equation, either. Just thinking back to when hazing was so popular and only the rich kids were involved.

[LiberalElite]

8. I didn't know it

required money to be in a fraternity. I just thought it was a status thing.

(I attended one of CUNY's colleges too.)

[SoapBox]

4. Ugh...

I would have thought that all fraternities would have done all possible by even 2013, to stop such hazing/initiation rituals.

My house, in the early 1970s did activities, where no one would die, but have now been banned for many years...the national has a zero tolerance policy and will not hesitate to close a chapter house.

This was such a sad...and bad situation.

[Skittles]

5. aside from the idiocy of hazing

not one of these morons had enough sense to call for medical help for someone who was unconscious........that is truly despicable

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

9. Their cell phone records should tell if they called for help ...

... I'd bet there were a few calls to parents, lawyers, and other frat members. CYA

[Hydraulico]

10. These fraternities

Need to be kept in check.