Fraternity Member Branded TCU
 

FORT WORTH — One of the most prominent families in Fort Worth wants answers about what happened to their son.

Amon Carter IV came home from a trip with his buddies branded and seriously burned.

Fraternity branding is a growing phenomenon, but this incident goes far beyond that. The family of the great, great grandson of Amon Carter is asking how could it happen — with no one held accountable and no one raising an alarm?

Everyone seems to agree it was a stupid decision by several TCU students, the result of a night of drinking — perhaps a dare.

Amon Carter IV, a sophomore who goes by the name of "Chance," told News 8 he consented to be branded on his buttock, but that he did not consent to what eventually happened.

Chance's dad, Amon Carter III, has retained a lawyer to make sure the branding is investigated by police and also school officials.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Amon-...-82758112.html

The story doesn't mention which fraternity he belongs to. It does mention that the incident happened on a trip to Breckenridge, Co., but doesn't say if it was fraternity sponsored or just a group on their own.

Everything that a dumb collegiate does is not cause for a chapter getting in trouble or a fraternity getting sued.

He went on a trip, got drunk, agreed to get branded on his ass, and it didn't come out as he had hopes. DUH he didn't agree to get burned on the ass. Brands sometimes don't come out as hoped. Lesson learned.

(There are instances where members are pressured or physically forced to get brands.)

Cosign.

I'd think that everyone would be on their best behavior around someone in the Amon Carter family, but that's what I get for assuming.

I'm sure I'll be hearing more about this as time progresses.

That is truly disgusting. Poor guy. I think the most important point made was that hazing is against the law and no one can consent to being hazed.

I knew a Delta Sig in college who got branded on his ankle the night before our school's mud volleyball tourney. After playing, he and his brothers hosed off in front of their house. His skin slid off with the mud leaving a large square defect on his ankle. He had a massive scar when it healed. I don't think people have any idea what they are doing when they try to brand themselves or others.

He's a member of a fraternity who consented to getting a brand. He's saving face for his wealthy helicopter family. And they are reacting as a wealthy helicopter family would.

Did you see the video? That does not look like a branding that anyone would agree to. That looks like assault. My first reaction was the same as yours, but you can't expect him to take one in the *ss just because he has a prominent family. Would you say this to a rape victim who consented but said no once it got out of control? This event, by the looks of his wound, got wayyyyyy out of control!

How many brands have you seen?

There are some that turn out OK, but a lot of them end up looking like shit.

You (general you) should know what you're getting into before agreeing to get one.

People can absolutely consent to be hazed.

Not according to Texas law. Does someone know about Colorado law? Since this did occur in Colorado. I don't know if they could prosecute these kids in TX anyway since it didn't occur there.

:rolleyes:

Anyway, my opinion will only be changed when I hear more about these "defensive wounds" that he supposedly has in places other than his ass. Until then, it looks like a horrible attempt at branding by a bunch of binge drinking and out of control college students. I don't assume hazing or assault solely based on that.

I've seen a few, but I actually have a lot of experience with burns. That brand was the result of multiple applications. They would have had to heat the brand and apply it to his skin more than once. The majority of brands I have seen have been a single sybol that is no larger than about 6". Anything larger risks skin sloughing since the skin around the brand will actually cook as well as the skin below the appliance. It may not look too terrible to you now, but the cell death will spread over the next few days...that's why he'll require several surgeries to repair the damage.

I just don't assume someone is lying because they have money and a privileged background. No one has been named and no fraternity has been maligned. It hurts no one to assume that this man was assaulted like he says. I also know that not many people could sit still while someone applied a white hot piece of metal to their skin multiple times even while drunk.

Just because the law says it does not make it reality.

But reality will still put your ass behind bars.

That is often how it is done. The majority of GLO branders (going back to the much more visible BGLO branding) do not have access to a commercialized symbol or nicely shaped wire so they use crappily shaped wire hangers and sometimes have to apply it more than once. Even those who do have access to a symbol often try to do "double branding" or put chapter symbols alongside the organization's symbols.

We don't know what tool and technique were used in this instance.

You're typing as a health expert.

Think along the lines of a dumbass drunk collegiate who knows nothing about burns and the negatives of branding.

Many of the brands I've seen have come from multiple applications. Not saying it's right, but it's not out of the ordinary.

He's a grown man who made a grown up decision. His bad.

I'm not really inclined to believe that he was "forced" into doing it. The Carter family is very prominent in FW, especially around the TCU area. I will agree with DrPhil again -- I think he did something stupid, got found out, and is now trying to save face.

I must live under a big rock...who is Amon Carter?

That may be, but automatically labeling him a liar just because of his family is wrong. He has a huge wound. Let there be an investigation. There is definitely enough question out there to warrant that. BTW...when I say multiple, I mean MANY, not like two or three. If he said stop after they started, they should have stopped. I for one, believe that he would have said stop. I think anyone would have said stop. Let's see more evidence. Show us the video, pictures of the defensive wounds, but calling him out because he is a Carter is classist.

Neither do I.

Take my posts within their full context. Not to mention, what's embedded in your posts is an assumption regarding my own background. ;)

Yeah we're definitely trying to stop the investigation. We're so sold on our opinions based on this limited info that nothing else matters.

And assuming that he was completely oblivious to that fact that burning your flesh could hurt is naive.

Here's a potential legal problem IMO, somebody had to actually plan this out, though not necessarily to do it to this guy. "TCU Branding Iron" doesn't normally appear on someone's ski trip packing list.

Thanks. I guess he is more of a local philanthropist.

Wire hangers.

So, is it the branding of members that is the problem?

Of course it was planned out. The packing of a branding iron is quite common for GLO chapters that engage in branding. If you are getting a group together, that is the perfect time to brand those who want to be branded.

Shows how little I know about this sort of thing.

NO. WIRE. HANGGERRRRRRRSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

I want to put that in my signature. :D

My point was if something was brought with to do this (until K_S pointed out wire hangers), then legally it could be viewed as premeditated assault.

This was exactly my point...that brand took multiple applications which he may not have expected or erroneously thought he could handle. Agreeing to it at the beginning is irrelevant. If he withdrew his consent, it becomes assault.

I'm not assuming anything about your background. Just using what you typed... Ha...that's funny.

How many guys do you know that act macho and pretend they can handle more than they can?

I give you permission :)

Some of my brothers have asked me to get a brand. I said no.

8 years later, I'm still brand-free.

If he REALLY didn't want one, he didn't have to get one.

I agree, I'm not arguing that he wasn't a complete moron to say yes at the onset, but as a feminist who believes that no means no, I really do believe that once you say no, the activity MUST stop. This happens in medicine all the time. I'm doing a procedure and the patient wants me to stop. I have to stop, otherwise, I actually can be charged with assault, as well. We all make mistakes, but if you are doing something to someone, and they want you to quit, it is in your best interest and theirs to stop immediately.

I won't argue with you that no means no.

I've seen a lot of people get branded, though, and I've never heard someone say stop while getting one. And until I hear otherwise, I still can't wrap my head around that fact that these guys would do this to a member of the Carter family without his consent.

I'm sure more information is going to come up soon. I'm interested in seeing where this goes.

Since when can they show butt cheeks on the news?

Apparently, it's less of a cheek if they blur the ass crack *shrugs*

The bolded does not automatically an assault make.

Okay, so k_s and I are classist and making judgments of the wealthy and privileged because we are..........

No, you aren't using what I typed within its full context. You just picked up the "wealthy families" part.

Branding for men and women is often about pretending you can handle more than you can. So, does that make this Carter guy an idiot who is learning a lesson or a victim of assault? That's what the investigation is for.

I'm going for a reach on this one. I agree with Dr. Phil, he's trying to save face in lieu of his helicopter family.