Depositions Underway In AKA Drowning Lawsuit

CrimsonTide4 · #1 09-10-2002, 04:09 PM

Fatal Case of Alleged College Hazing

Tearfully Kristin's mom said, "Somebody has to account for this…somebody has to go down for this…you know this is just not right."
Two young women drown in Playa Del Rey in the middle of the night. The family of one the victims believes it was a case of hazing. The young woman was pledging a college sorority.
Apparently the two women swimming at night with friends at Dockweiler State Beach drowned after they were overcome by high tide and rough surf.

Kenitha Saafir, 24, of Compton, and Kristin HIgh, 22, of Los Angeles, were pronounced dead at the scene, said Los Angeles Police Department Officer Ed Funes.

Kristin
"The incident is being investigated as an accidental drowning at this time," Funes said.

The women were at the beach near 63rd Avenue and Speedway about 11:30 p.m. Sunday when they were pulled under the waves.

The women were there with four friends, said Sgt. Cindy Halloford of the LAPD's Pacific Station.

The family of one of the victims says she was pushed into the water by her own desire to join the sorority. They were involved in illegal underground hazing.

Patricia Fargas, Kristin's mother said her daughter lost her life because she wanted to join a sorority.

Though at this time it is being called an accidentally drowning the Kristin's fiancé said it was more. He says somebody has to pay for this in civil and criminal court. He said that they will push the issue.

Tearfully Kristin's mom said, "Somebody has to account for this…somebody has to go down for this…you know this is just not right."

Apparently this morning members of the sorority phoned the mother to tell her this had nothing to do with hazing, but two other girls that got out alive told her a different story.

The sorority denies that it was hazing. They say they do not allow it.

The survivors told the Patricia that her daughter died a hero. She was trying to save somebody. Patricia says she wants her voice to be heard to stop hazing across the country.

Last Updated: Sep 10, 2002

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/091..._drowning.html

JJSP01 · #2 09-10-2002, 04:14 PM

I hadn't heard....I'm curious as to which sorority this was.

Steeltrap · #3 09-10-2002, 04:21 PM

I am also curious to know which organization it is. The article did not indicate where the young women went to school in Los Angeles, however.

No matter what happens, remember that there are two more children that have been ripped from their parents.

prettypoodle6 · #4 09-10-2002, 05:07 PM

im in la - and that all everyone is talking about today.

a particular chapter has been named amongst us greeks out here that know - but it hasnt been confirmed.....

DELTABRAT · #5 09-10-2002, 06:33 PM

Pretty Poodle,

What chapter is that and of what sorority? I know it is specualtion at this point but someone has to know something. My neo just sent this to me last night and I just happended to check my e-mail.

I am in Los Angeles as well and this has to be real, real local for it to have happened at Dockweiler Beach. Also, since UC's haven't started school yet, I am venturing to say it was a private university or a Cal State.

Either way, I pray for those young women's soul's. That is just not cool at all.

prettypoodle6 · #6 09-10-2002, 07:41 PM

here's the latest story:

http://kcal9.com/topstories/StoryFol...323025161_html

Mother Blames Hazing For Drownings
Two Victims Died In Nighttime Surf Off Dockweiler State Beach

AP
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Sep 10, 2002 2:30 pm US/Pacific
(AP)-(PLAYA DEL REY )-Two women who drowned during a nighttime beach visit may have been undergoing a sorority hazing, the mother of one victim said Tuesday.

Kenitha Saafir, 24, of Compton and Kristin High, 22, of Los Angeles were pulled to shore in Playa del Rey by police officers but pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

High, a California Sate University, Los Angeles, student and mother of a 2-year-old son, had been undergoing an initiation rite for the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, her mother, Pat Fargas, told KCAL-TV.

"She's crying back from her death to say stop this hazing," Fargas said.

Fargas alleged the women had been undergoing initiation rituals for weeks. They'd been pushed into the water blindfolded and with their hands tied, the station said.

"I tried to talk to all of them this weekend and said stop it, and I'm gonna call and report this, and now it's too late," she said.

Police said they could not immediately confirm the account.

Uniformed officers were sent to a Playa del Rey beach at about 11:30 p.m. Monday by reports of women screaming, Officer Eduardo Funes said in a statement.

The officers were met by four people who said that two of their friends "were swept into the ocean and had not come out," Funes said.

The officers removed their leather belts and boots and dove into the ocean in heavy surf, located the women and pulled them out.

Attempts by the officers and paramedics to revive them failed.

The sorority had no information on the incident, Executive Director Betty James said from its Chicago headquarters.

"The sorority expresses its condolences to the families and will cooperate with authorities in their investigation," she said.

Alpha Kappa Alpha has an anti-hazing policy adopted two years ago by the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc., which includes representatives of nine historically black fraternities and sororities.

The policy calls for holding people who engage in hazing "personally liable to the victim and to answer to the law and the organization," according to the Alpha Kappa Alpha Web site.

(© 2002 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

prayerfull · #7 09-10-2002, 07:47 PM

My sincerest condolences go out to Kenitha and Kristin's families and friends.

I rather this come from a Soror than anyone else....since we can be certain this topic will get some attention.

LA media has already, this evening, pointed out the name of the sorority and possible chapters in question. Since that is public information, I will say that Alpha Kappa Alpha has been named and the LA City Chapter (Sigma) has also been mentioned.

I will point out, however, that the facts in this case have not been brought to light. Until a detailed police investigation and report has been brought out, we are hearing "speculation" from people who, most likely, were not present when this incident happened.

In NO WAY am I condoning hazing or supporting any person involved in a hazing incident. Alpha Kappa Alpha holds strict its policy against hazing.

Again, my sincerest condolences go out to the families who have lost loved ones.

stillwater15 · #8 09-10-2002, 07:58 PM

the bottom line is that two young women are dead. i pray for their souls and their family/friends that are grieving for them. truly, my sincerest condolences are extended. in my very humble opinion, it doesn't matter which organization is being tied into the alleged hazing incident. whatever the circumstances surrounding their death, i believe there's a lesson to be learned by greeks, prospectives and non-greeks.

DELTABRAT · #9 09-10-2002, 08:07 PM

Man,

Again, my deppest codolensces to the family and friends of those two women.

I agree that further investigation needs to be done just to be more informed.

I don't think that it matters either which sorority the ladies were allegedly pledging for the sake of saying "Whew...wasn't us." because the fact does remain that the women are not alive and that is the tragedy. I think people want to know what sorority for other reasons. I know for me I am in Los Angeles...the heart of it...not the valley, not Riverside, not San Diego...LA! So if it were my sorority, best believe I would know someone involved and heads would roll...and so that was why I wanted to know for myself.

I also do believe that lessons need to be learned and that the death of these women should not just be taken as "Oh, well" like just circumstance. It is too sad.

Is there even a chapter of said organization on that campus? Is it citywide? I have never heard any on the campus but then I never did hella research on the topic. But, as was posted by others...that's why more investigatio needs to be done.

prettypoodle6 · #10 09-10-2002, 08:19 PM

absolutely - my deepest condolences go out to the two ladies and those that knew them. this should not have happened.

something like this has never happened so close to home and a lot of us here (greeks across the board) just dont understand and dont know how to react. i think today has been a wake up call for a lot of us.

AKA2D '91 · #11 09-10-2002, 09:51 PM

1. What a shame. Those families have lost their children over foolishness.

2. It's not worth it now for those soon to be former members to lose their letters, and possibly their freedom over something NOT official. (I'm not loosing my stuff for a single, solitary being). JUST DO THE RIGHT THING!

3. Was it worth loosing "your" life to belong to an organization? Now, these young ladies do not have the letters, nor their life. IT'S SAD! IT'S NOT WORTH IT!

Those of you out there (ON BOTH SIDES), better learn to say "NO"!

(just sad)

oneinamillion · #12 09-10-2002, 10:28 PM

I'm not a member of any sorority and it doesn't matter who they were trying to be apart of...the point is they're gone when they could have been here. I can say that it is sad what happen to the young ladies.

ladygreek · #13 09-10-2002, 11:57 PM

Even if what has been reported is true, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is NOT to blame just as Delta was not to blame for the tragic car accident that happened in Florida. Who are to blame are renegade members of the sororities who insist on defying our rules and regulations.

My prayers go out to the families of these young ladies. And I hope to God that the message is heard loud and clear--

MEMBERS cut out the stupidity!
PROSPECTS do not submit yourself to anything that is stupid or dangerous!

NONE OF US CONDONE HAZING!!!!!

treblk · #14 09-11-2002, 09:33 AM

My prayer goes out to the families of those ladies.
I got a call late last night from my chapter soror and found out, to my horor, that one of the ladies that passed away was the wife of a friend. He pledged Alpha about a year or so after me and they just got married and had a son. This is so unreal.

Please keep them in your prayer for this SHOULD NEVER have happened.

salexan3 · #15 09-11-2002, 10:30 AM

Sorors,
Kristen was my friend. We served on the same national committee in the NAACP. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Justice will prevail. I agree with the soror that said AKA is not to blame. I blame the individuals of the 2 renegade chapters that were not recognized on the LA and Long Beach campuses that were present during the incident. For the young ladies of AKA to call Kristen's mom and say that, " it was not hazing, they were just talking about history". Then why were they on the beach at 11:30 pm in the water taking orders from so called "big sister". Sorry sorors I had to get that off my chest because my friend's son has to grow up with out a mom.