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Dallas High School Girls Being Hazed In Big Sis-Lil Sis Program
October 07, 2009

High school girls attending Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas report being hazed as part of the "Big Sis- Lil Sis program at the school The program is designed to help freshman girls get mentored by junior girls and to encourage the girls to get to know the school and each other better. However, one of the freshman girls involved in the program has reported that under the guise of "tradition" the freshman girls were forced for several hours into uncomfortable situations that included:

Underage drinking,

smoking marijuana

pole-dancing on street signs

being photographed while giving lap dances to boys

yelling obscenities at fast-food drive-through windows

being covered with eggs, flour, mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise,

forced to take off their bras and wear them around their necks and run through sprinkler systems wearing their pajamas.

simulating oral sex, sometimes while older high school boys watched.

The Dallas Independent School District said the information has been reported to the proper authorities and that an investigation is being conducted.

If these events are really a tradition of this Big Sis-Lil Sis program, the sad part is that so many other girls have been subjected to this hazing. The fact that it may be a "tradition" does not make the actions right or legal. Hazing is a crime in Texas, as in most other states. In addition, hazing is a violation of the Code of Conduct of most schools and universities. As a result, the girls who participate in this behavior are risking criminal prosecution and disciplinary action from the school.

If you or a family member have lost a loved one due to a hazing incident or a suspected hazing incident, we encourage you to take prompt action, to report the incident to the appropriate legal and school authorities, to investigate the matter with the assistance of an experienced attorney familiar with hazing cases, and to know what your rights are.

Very few law firms have experience handling these cases. Rachel Montes and Tom Herald have represented families of victims of hazing. Although we are located in Irving, Texas (Dallas - Fort Worth), we accept hazing cases from any state including California. In addition to the information on our main website at www.MontesHerald.com concerning hazing, we encourage you to view our website at www.hazinglaws.com, a website that is dedicated to educating people about hazing and stopping the senseless cycle of hazing. You can view detailed information about the lawsuits Rachel Montes and Tom Herald have been involved in concerning hazing deaths.

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Austin Teenager Dies in a Suspected Fraternity Hazing Incident
June 03, 2009

Carson Starkey, 18, of Austin, Texas, was found dead in December with a blood-alcohol level between 0.39 percent and 0.44 percent. Police say that Mr. Starkey, a freshman at California Polytechnic State University, had to drink a bag full of alcoholic drinks as part of the fraternity pledging process for Sigma Alpha Epsilon. The university has suspended the fraternity following this incident.

Four fraternity members are now facing criminal charges in San Luis Obispo, California, in connection with the incident, but those charges are only misdemeanor charges. Haithem Ibrahim, 20, of Lafayette and Zacary Ellis, 22, of San Luis Obispo were charged Thursday with felony hazing causing death. Russell Taylor, 22, of Fresno, and Adam Marszal, 21, of Carmichael, were charged with misdemeanor hazing. All four students also face a misdemeanor charge of permitting a minor to consume alcohol. Ibrahim and Ellis were released on $50,000 bail and face up to three years in state prison if convicted of the felonies. Taylor and Marszal were released on $10,000 bail and face up to a year in county jail if convicted of the misdemeanors.

In a ceremony very common among fraternities, as part of the fraternity's tradition, the pledges participated in "Brown Bag Night," in which a "Big Brother" purchases alcohol and puts it in a brown bag for each pledge to consume. Police say that Ibrahim was Starkey's "Big Brother," but because he was not yet 21, Taylor purchased the alcohol on his behalf.. Authorities said Marszal, Taylor and Ibrahim went to two stores to buy liquor, including 151-proof Everclear. As part of the "Brown Bag Night" a group of 17 pledges sat in a circle around a bucket and Ellis instructed them to drink all the alcohol in their bags by midnight while the "Big Brothers" watched.

Sometime after Starkey passed out, several members put him in a car to take him to a hospital - and, of course, removed his pledge pin so that the hospital would not associate Mr. Starkey or the incident with the fraternity. Police report that when Mr. Starkey began vomit, instead of taking him to the hospital, they took him back to the house and put him to bed. When he was found unresponsive the next morning, fraternity members shooed other pledges out of the house before police and paramedics arrived.

Starkey's parents said they believe their son would not have wanted to join a fraternity if he knew the initiation rituals were dangerous. "He participated in a dangerous fraternity ritual during which he was compelled to drink a fatal amount of alcohol. His death was not caused by 'voluntarily' drinking too much, and anyone who might suggest otherwise is misinformed," they said in a statement.

As the attached article details, this is not the first such hazing incident at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). There have been at least 17 major hazing violations by fraternities and sororities at Cal Poly over the past four years.

This hazing incident and death was entirely preventable because the fraternity and its members knew that their actions were illegal, and certainly should have known the dangers of alcohol poisoning. Sadly, every year, hazing incidents result in the senseless injuries and deaths. It is particularly troubling how often these incidents involve alcohol and underage drinking. The national chapters of these fraternities and sororities need to stop closing their eyes to the conduct of its members, who in the tradition of the fraternity engage in dangerous hazing rituals.

If you suspect that hazing was involved in causing serious injury or the death of your loved one, you need to contact an attorney to investigate the case. Rarely will the organizations or people who are involved in a hazing incident admit that there was hazing or the full extent of the hazing because they will protect the fraternity and their members to try to avoid being prosecuted or having the fraternity charter revoked. Afterall hazing is a crime in most states, and is prohibited by schools and universities. As a result, any time there is a death or injury caused by hazing, there is frequently a coverup, a Code of Silence, about the incident and the traditions of the organization. Often there is even an organized effort to protect not only the individuals involved, but also the organization. In fact, most fraternities and sororities have adopted rules that require their members and pledges to take an oath of secrecy and loyalty to the organization.

As a result of the Code of Silence, hazing cases are complex cases that require extensive investigation. Although the police and school authorities may be of great assistance in investigating these types of cases, often the police and even the schools are not equipped or experienced in handling a complex hazing case. The only way to discover the truth and to get justice is to investigate the case yourself, and usually with the help of an experienced attorney who is familiar with hazing cases.

If you or a family member have lost a loved one due to a hazing incident or a suspected hazing incident, we encourage you to take prompt action, to report the incident to the appropriate legal and school authorities, to investigate the matter with the assistance of an experienced attorney familiar with hazing cases, and to know what your rights are. Taking control of the situation and discoverying the truth surrounding the loss of your loved one is often a very helpful way to deal with your loss, and may help prevent others from suffering a similar loss in the future.

Very few law firms have experience handling these cases. Rachel Montes and Tom Herald have represented families of victims of hazing. Although we are located in Irving, Texas (Dallas - Fort Worth), we accept hazing cases from any state including California. In addition to the information on our main website at www.MontesHerald.com concerning hazing, we encourage you to view our website at www.hazinglaws.com, a website that is dedicated to educating people about hazing and stopping the senseless cycle of hazing. You can view detailed information about the lawsuits Rachel Montes and Tom Herald have been involved in concerning hazing deaths.

Attachments:
OtherHazingIncidentsatCalPoly.pdf

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