Frats come back after hazing deaths
Sean Rossman and Trevor Hughes
The importance of Gordie Bailey’s story was easy to convey a decade ago.
A good- looking, funny kid from Dallas, the captain of the high school football team, pledged the Chi Psi fraternity at the University of Colorado- Boulder. One night, he drank too much and died at 18.
Even Bailey’s parents concede that the story, once a timely call to action, has become dated. Although their fierce fight to shine a light on the hazards of hazing and drinking may have saved lives, stories like Bailey’s continue to happen, year after year.
Since Bailey’s death Sept. 17, 2004, 29 other pledges have died in alcohol- related hazing incidents across the country, hazing expert Hank Nuwer said. This year, fraternity chapters closed or were suspended at Penn State, Louisiana State, Florida State and Texas State after pledge deaths — and universities found themselves grappling with how to respond. Many campuses — not just those where deaths occurred — temporarily shut down
Greek life activities.
There’s a familiar pattern to fraternity deaths, Nuwer said: A pledge dies, there’s a big reaction, new students come in, people forget the name and the fraternity returns to campus.
Bailey’s parents, Leslie and Michael Lanahan, experienced the common rhythms of a fraternity death: the earth- shattering phone call, the discussions with administrators, the criminal and civil court proceedings, and finally the rebirth of the chapter. They vowed to push institutional changes that would save others.
Years later, they’ve become accustomed to the stories. “It’s just sad to think of a family going through that absolute nightmare that we went through,” Leslie Lanahan said.
Around the CU- Boulder campus, few have heard of Gordie Bailey.
Most college- age students were just starting elementary school when Bailey and other pledges were blindfolded, taken to the woods and told to drink copious amounts of whiskey and wine.
Bailey passed out that night, and fraternity members drew slurs all over his body. He was found face down on the floor of the Chi Psi house the next morning with a blood- alcohol level of .328, more than four times the legal driving threshold in Colorado. He died of an alcohol overdose.
“Gordie will always be part of the story of the University of ColoradoBoulder, especially in Greek life, but you’ve reached the point where new kids coming in — this is ancient history,” said Marc Stine, adviser of the independent Interfraternity Council ( IFC) in Boulder, which oversees 21 fraternity chapters. “It’s like the names of the guys who died in World War II that are up on the marble plaque.”
The Chi Psi chapter at Boulder, which had 107 members as of last fall, was named by the national organiza- tion as its top chapter in 2016- 17. It’s in the house where Bailey was found.
The chapter has been subject to judicial actions by the IFC. Stine said the issues were minor and not related to hazing, alcohol or sexual assault.
Bailey’s death served as a “tipping point” for the university, said Stephanie Baldwin, CU- Boulder’s assistant director for Greek life.
The IFC is a not- for- profit corpora-
Rossman reported from McLean, Va. Hughes reported from Boulder, Colo. Contributing: Associated Press tion run by CU- Boulder fraternity brothers. Its Judicial Board investigates, tries and doles out punishment for violations related to hazing, alcohol and sexual assault.
It has expelled three fraternities since Bailey died, all for violations related to hazing and alcohol.
Delta Chi was booted in 2008 after an alcohol- related hazing incident caused “major damage” to an Estes Park, Colo., motel, Stine said. Sigma Pi was expelled in 2013. Kappa Sigma, which was linked to sexual assault, was removed in 2015. The final straw for Kappa Sigma, Stine said, was when members showed up at the IFC president’s house and demanded he come out and fight.
The Sigma Pi and Kappa Sigma chapters still are listed on their national organizations’ websites and remain in operation in Boulder, despite having no affiliations with the university or the independent IFC.