Earlier this month, we reported that David Bianchi and Michael Levine of Stewart Tilghman Fox Bianchi & Cain, P.A. were representing the family of a young man who suffered a catastrophic brain injury in a hazing incident at the University of Missouri. In October 2021, freshman Daniel Santulli was subjected severe hazing while at a Phi Gamma Delta pledge event involving the infamous "family bottle" fraternity tradition—the same tradition that killed Andrew Coffey in 2017.
The story has been reported by multiple nationwide outlets, including:
Now, the Daily Business Review has interviewed Attorneys Bianchi and Levine for how they view the ongoing fraternity hazing crisis and why radical action is long overdue when it comes to dangerous fraternity practices. Read a PDF of the article here.
Despite intervention from universities and fraternities promising to do better. "It never ends, because we get new laws passed all around the United States that try to do something about all of these bad hazing situations, but despite the laws and despite tougher rules and regulations at the universities and despite anti-hazing policies by the big national fraternities, all of this continues, it doesn't stop," Bianchi told DBR.
"We're very upset that this continues to happen despite the best efforts to stop them," Levine said.
Bianchi and Levine said that unless universities are willing to expel wrongdoers after a fraternity hazing incident, there will simply not be enough reason for fraternities to change. Bianchi has gone on record multiple times saying that if universities were willing to expel fraternity officers immediately after dangerous hazing incidents, Greek organizations would police themselves. Because wrongdoers often do not face criminal or academic consequences, they're not incentivized to reform their ways.
Our firm will continue fighting to fraternities and their members accountable for their role in harming young students. This cannot go on as it has. To read more, check out the article here!