Lawsuit: Texas A&M students disfigured, impaired The state’s anti-hazing law also defines hazing as any activity that subjects a student to an unreasonable risk of harm or that adversely affects their mental or physical health. Senate Bill 38, passed in 2019, defines hazing as physical brutality, sleep deprivation or any activity where students are forced to take drugs or drink alcohol. ![]() The list says Texas has seen at least 19 other hazing-related deaths at universities across the state, including former UT student and SAE pledge Tyler Cross, who died in 2006. Since 1984, at least three people have died in hazing-related incidents at Texas A&M, according to a nationwide database of hazing deaths by Hank Nuwer, an Ohio journalist and hazing expert. The list does not include Texas A&M’s chapter of SAE. The university has found 10 organizations responsible for hazing since fall 2018, including various sororities and fraternities, according to a public list on the university’s website. The lawsuit follows several hazing incidents at Texas A&M. More: 'Significant' student debt affects Texas' minority college students disproportionately Hazing at Texas A&M Texas A&M’s chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon did not return a request for comment. Johnny Sao, public relations manager for the national Sigma Alpha Epsilon organization, said the fraternity does not comment on litigation. Hazing is a violation of Texas A&M’s Student Code of Conduct, student organization policies and Texas state law.” “We will continue our hazing prevention education programs, which includes outlining what constitutes hazing and the consequences for such poor choices. “Texas A&M will not tolerate actions or behavior that degrades, intimidates, humiliates or endangers students,” Brown said. Texas A&M spokeswoman Kelly Brown said the university's chapter of SAE was suspended on Wednesday for two years, and the organization will be on probation for two more years when its suspension ends. ![]() The two students are seeking at least $1 million in damages and a jury trial. “Close and Figueroa are both permanently disfigured as a result of the burns they endured at the hands of the Defendants.” “As a result of the burns they endured, Close and Figueroa were transported to Houston, Texas, to undergo emergency skin graft surgery and eventually underwent a second skin graft surgery,” the suit states. ![]() Close and Figueroa experienced severe burns as a result of the high alkaline cleaner being poured on them, the lawsuit states. In March, the lawsuit alleges that they were forced to do “various kinesthetic activities” and escorted to a barn, where fraternity members poured “foreign substances” on the two freshmen, including human spit, raw eggs, paint, food condiments and an industrial strength cleaner. Close and Figueroa were chosen to pledge SAE after going through rush at the beginning of the spring 2021 semester, according to the lawsuit, filed last week.
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