Parents of FSU student who died of alcohol poisoning sue
It was a booze-filled hazing ritual by Pi Kappa Phi fraternity members that continued despite a liquor ban, and it claimed the life last November of Florida State University student Andrew Coffey, according to a negligence lawsuit filed last week by Coffey’s parents against the fraternity.
Coffey, 20, of Lighthouse Point, was trying to become a member of Pi Kappa Phi. The pledge showed up at their on-campus house on the night of Nov. 2, and the drinking began, according to the lawsuit.
It continued off campus, at a house about a mile away. Coffey was handed a .750 ml bottle of bourbon by his “Big Brother” and drank the entire bottle, as was expected of him by the fraternity members who looked on, according to the lawsuit filed in Leon County Circuit Court.
It didn’t take long for the effects of the alcohol to take its toll. His speech became slurred, he could not walk, his eyes rolled back in his head, he vomited and then passed out, and in the early morning of Nov. 3 his heart stopped, according to the lawsuit.
A medical examiner’s autopsy concluded that Coffey died of alcohol poisoning.
“No one called 911 to ask for advice or to summon the paramedics, no one called the police to ask for help and no one attempted to take him to the hospital,” the lawsuit states. “Instead, everyone drifted away and Andrew was eventually left all alone in a dark room surrounded by empty liquor and beer bottles, cups and vomit.”
Coffey was a civil engineering student. He graduated from Pompano High School in 2015.
Todd Shelton, spokesman for the national office of the fraternity, declined to comment on the lawsuit.
“Unfortunately, we do not comment regarding pending litigation,” he said in an email message.
The fraternity has faced disciplinary actions in the past five years for hazing, alcohol violations and unspecified misconduct, according to logs maintained by the national fraternity. After Coffey’s death, the fraternity suspended the FSU chapter’s operations.
Nine fraternity members are facing hazing charges in connection with Coffey’s death. Last week, the trial dates for five of those defendants were set for the summer. empty
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