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Washington State University (WSU) is shutting down one of its fraternities for the rest of the decade due to multiple hazing violations.

An investigation found new members of WSU’s Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity were pressured to consume alcohol and drugs, forced into physical activities as punishment, and subjected to a power imbalance within the fraternity, according to .

In addition to the fraternity being shut down until 2030, the university also ruled that it will have to be alcohol-free until 2032, once reinstated.

Another WSU fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega, was stripped of its recognition until 2026 after an appeals court decision ruled that the university was liable for the death of student Sam Martinez.

Sam Martinez’ death

Martinez, a freshman student originally from Bellevue, died of alcohol poisoning while pledging the fraternity Alpha Tau Omega at WSU. An appeals court decision ruled that the university was liable for his death in January.

This ruling marks the first time a university within Washington has been held accountable for a hazing-related fatality. This ruling differed from a King County Superior Court decision in 2022, when a judge dismissed the case against the university, citing that WSU did not owe Martinez 鈥渁 duty of care.鈥�

鈥淏ecause WSU has a special relationship with its recognized fraternal organizations, we conclude that it owed a duty to use reasonable care to control the fraternity and protect Sam from the foreseeable harms of fraternal hazing and alcohol misuse,鈥� the Washington Court of Appeals, Division 1, wrote in its聽, obtained by聽.

In 2019, a fraternity member gave Martinez and another 鈥減ledge鈥� a half gallon of rum and told them to drink it in less than an hour during the fraternity鈥檚 annual Big Brother Party,聽聽confirmed through court documents. Martinez died of alcohol poisoning, police and university investigations confirmed.

鈥淣obody called 911, and they woke up to a nightmare, and so did we,鈥� Martinez鈥檚 mother, Jolayne Houtz, told聽. 鈥淗e鈥檚 gone, and I can鈥檛 stand by and be worried every time a school year begins that another family will have to go through this because it鈥檚 wrong.鈥�

笔谤辞蝉别肠耻迟辞谤蝉听, which, as a gross misdemeanor, was a tougher charge than hazing. Some served jail time between one and 19 days, while others were sentenced to probation.

One of the reasons the appeals court ruled against WSU was that the court found the university knew of, and neglected, multiple instances of troubling behavior, according to . In 2013, the WSU conduct board found the fraternity made pledges clean up raw sewage and drink excessive amounts of alcohol. In 2017, the fraternity was documented forcing pledges to drink excessively and endure 鈥渁ggressive hazing.鈥�

The university also had evidence that Alpha Tau Omega humiliated new members by forcing them to stand in toilets.

鈥淭hey had a terrible history. University leaders knew that all the way to the top, and they did nothing,鈥� Houtz told KING 5. 鈥淚f I had known a quarter of what I now know about Alpha Tau Omega, there鈥檚 no way Sam would have wanted to join and, furthermore, we wouldn鈥檛 have allowed him to join. They knowingly put Sam and other students in harm鈥檚 way.鈥�

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