A fraternity pledge at San Diego State University says he was dumped at a hospital entrance with a blood alcohol level of 0.489 and a 1% chance that he'd live. Benjamin Brennan, now 21, is suing Kappa Sigma fraternity and members, alleging hazing practices that left him with a big medical bill and injuries, including potential permanent damage, that mean he is unable to work or attend school, per the Washington Post. As a 19-year-old freshman, Brennan spent six weeks pledging Kappa Sigma. For his last pledge event in April 2021, he was paired with a mentor and ordered to do everything asked of him. According to the lawsuit, that included giving up his car keys and phone—meaning he was unable to leave or seek help—and drinking a fifth of rum (750ml) within 30 minutes.
He claims he kept drinking even after losing the ability to stand or speak. He was also forced to smoke tobacco and marijuana, the lawsuit claims. The next morning, frat members allegedly struck him with paddles while he lay unconscious. He remained that way for 90 minutes before members took him to a hospital, leaving him vomiting at the entrance, according to the suit. Brennan was placed on life support and given a 1% chance of survival, the suit adds. Though he did survive, "at times he feels like he’d be better off if he didn't," lawyer James Frantz tells the Post. He says Brennan is unable to work and ultimately dropped out of school due to cognitive impairment. The Pittsburgh native also has severe depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, Frantz tells BuzzFeed News.
"It's supposed to be a brotherhood when you go into a fraternity," Frantz tells the Post. "These boys just abandoned their brother and left him for dead. That's not brotherhood," adds Brennan's mother, Lindsay Gibson, per WLS. Mitchell Wilson, executive director of the fraternity's national office, says action has been taken against the individuals involved and "we continue to adamantly oppose hazing, the misuse of alcohol and placing the health and safety of any person at risk." A university rep adds the SDSU chapter, which was under suspension at the time of the incident, was expelled for hazing in 2022. Brennan's lawsuit seeks damages for emotional distress and compensation for medical expenses and other economic losses. Lawyers are also recommending criminal charges, per WLS. (More hazing stories.)
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