An unregnoized local's pledge event, leaves one dead

[33girl]

Ann Marie - thanks for filling us in. I'd also like to thank you for always being such a sweetie and so supportive of my ASA sisters at Plymouth. That's what Greek unity is all about!

Panhel Y,
Sheila

[shadokat]

UPDATE!

Associated Press
July 7, 2004

Woman's family sues university, students over death

CONCORD, N.H. -- The family of a Plymouth State University student
killed
during a suspected hazing incident last year is suing the school and
members of a sorority, accusing them of negligence in the woman's
death.

Dan Duckett, lawyer for the family of Kelly Nester, said his clients
are
frustrated by the lack of criminal charges filed in the case, and with
the
level of cooperation with authorities by the women who were with Nester
the
night she died.

"They don't believe the truth has come out," Duckett said Wednesday.
"They're unsatisfied with the information provided by the driver and
the
(sorority) sisters. The police can only do so much and they're relying
on
these witnesses."

Nester, 20, of Coventry, R.I., died Oct. 20 while pledging the Sigma
Kappa
Omega sorority. She and nine other women, some blindfolded, were riding
in
a vehicle that went off the road and flipped. Nester was thrown from
the
vehicle.

Though authorities investigated the crash as a possible hazing, no
charges
have been filed. In May, Grafton County Attorney Rick St. Hilaire
complained that the women involved were not cooperating.

Police have said that just before the crash the driver of the vehicle,
Nicole Dalton, of Rochester, may have been driving erratically, rocking
the
car back and forth and jamming the brakes.

"I have not seen the lawsuit, but I can tell you that the
investigations
that have been done have all determined that Nicole Dalton did not
engage
in any hazing or reckless operation of the motor vehicle," Dalton's
lawyer,
Gerard Boyle, said Wednesday. He has said his client was taking the
group
to buy snacks when she lost control of the vehicle on wet leaves.

The Nester family's lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Grafton County Superior
Court, accuses the school, Dalton and three other sorority sisters of
failing to ensure the safety of Nester and other pledges.

The lawsuit accuses the school of failing to control the sorority,
saying
it knew the sorority hazed potential members, but ignored it. Schools
officials had not seen the lawsuit Wednesday afternoon and would not
comment.

The sorority sisters, who also include Olivia Lucca of Mount Vernon,
Maine,
Heather Haigh, of Ridgefield, Conn., and Nicole Little, of Londonderry,
are
accused of coercing the pledges into "illegal pledging activities," and
of
failing to ensure their safety by blindfolding them and forcing them
into
the back of the vehicle.

No telephone listings for Lucca, Haigh and Little could be found.
Lawyers
for the women either did not return calls seeking comment or had not
seen
the lawsuit and would not comment.

The lawsuit also accuses Dalton's parents, James and Peggy Dalton, of
negligence for allowing their daughter to use their vehicle even though
she
had a record of speeding tickets and one accident.

No telephone listing was available for the Daltons.

[33girl]

H, clean your pm box

[Kevin]

Sounds like they're really grasping at straws now.

[BabyP]

How can they not know that the sorority was not recognized???

[Kevin]

Originally posted by BabyP
How can they not know that the sorority was not recognized???

It's not the university's job to monitor what groups kids affiliate with outside of school. Is the school required to report what religious organization the student is affiliating with?

[James]

This is true.

Originally posted by ktsnake
It's not the university's job to monitor what groups kids affiliate with outside of school. Is the school required to report what religious organization the student is affiliating with?

[WhiteDaisy128]

The lawsuit also accuses Dalton's parents, James and Peggy Dalton, of negligence for allowing their daughter to use their vehicle even though
she
had a record of speeding tickets and one accident.

I'm sorry, but that is crap. I feel horribly sorry for the young womans family, but going after someone's parents for their actions is just stupid unless the person is under 18.

[AGDee]

I agree. If the DMV hadn't suspended her license, there is no reason for them to not let her drive their car.

[AlphaFrog]

I'm glad they left our name out of it this time.

[33girl]

Originally posted by BabyP
How can they not know that the sorority was not recognized???

Who do you mean when you say "they"? The school or the lawyers?

If I'm not mistaken, the school and Greek advisor refused to recognize any new local sororities when SKO was formed - perhaps if more of an effort had been made to bring all the locals into the fold and give them a reason to want to be recognized, rather than pushing them away, this tragedy would not have happened. If you treat people like outlaws, they will behave accordingly.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by WhiteDaisy128
I'm sorry, but that is crap. I feel horribly sorry for the young womans family, but going after someone's parents for their actions is just stupid unless the person is under 18.

I was having lunch with a former employee of mine today and he was saying that the same kind of thing was happening to his ex-wife after their son was involved in a leaving the scene accident while DUI (2nd offense). He also has no insurance. The plaintif's insurance company is coming after her because she co-signed when he bought the car.

It's real scary to take on responsibility for anyone but yourself these days. That may be why, even though they provide insurance, GLO's have increasing trouble finding alumni volunteers these days.

It's also one of the reasons for such heavy emphasis on Risk Management these days.

[mommag2]

__________________________________________________ __
qoute:
"I have not seen the lawsuit, but I can tell you that the
investigations
that have been done have all determined that Nicole Dalton did not
engage
in any hazing or reckless operation of the motor vehicle," Dalton's
lawyer,
Gerard Boyle, said Wednesday. He has said his client was taking the
group
to buy snacks when she lost control of the vehicle on wet leave
__________________________________________________

Oh come on doe anyone really believe that she was taking the girls to get snacks? If that is the truth then why were some of them blindfolded?



__________________________________________________
qoute:
I agree. If the DMV hadn't suspended her license, there is no reason for them to not let her drive their car.
__________________________________________________



I agree. Her parents should not be responsible! Nicole Dalton is an adult and should be treated as one. The only reason in which I would agree that her parents should be responsible is if she had a suspended licsense (sp) and her parents allowed her to use their car.


__________________________________________________
qoute:
If I'm not mistaken, the school and Greek advisor refused to recognize any new local sororities when SKO was formed - perhaps if more of an effort had been made to bring all the locals into the fold and give them a reason to want to be recognized, rather than pushing them away, this tragedy would not have happened. If you treat people like outlaws, they will behave accordingly.
__________________________________________________ _

It's true, when something is verbooten people want to do it even more and do it without consequences. Sine the university does not recognize Locals, they should be prepared for more incidents of hazing that could possibly include a life being taken. If this Local had someone to answer to then maybe this little "snack run" would never had happened.

[shadokat]

sorry, PM box is clean now 33 It's my guess that these parents are just trying to get some action and such out of this. Maybe the university has done nothing...who knows? That's normally why people sue everyone and their mother. It's all such a shame.

[PlymouthDZ]

Originally posted by shadokat
Maybe the university has done nothing...who knows?

PSU didn't do a whole lot. 2 girls were expelled, supposedly, but they finished classes for the Spring.

The only thing that really happened as a result of that, happened to the remaining GLOs. Now, we have no Panhel and no IFC. We have no support and no regonition form the university. ALl organizations are on a 4 year "Prohbation" period. EVERYONE else suffered the consequences.

The university know about Sigma Kappa Omega.. there's nothing they can do. Plymouth has a handful of "underground" and unrecognized sororities.

If I'm not mistaken, the school and Greek advisor refused to recognize any new local sororities when SKO was formed - perhaps if more of an effort had been made to bring all the locals into the fold and give them a reason to want to be recognized, rather than pushing them away, this tragedy would not have happened. If you treat people like outlaws, they will behave accordingly.

You got it. The women who left, or were asked to Leave ASA, formed Sigma Kappa Omega and attempted to gain recognition when our former Greek Advisor told them no.

Oh come on now anyone really believe that she was taking the girls to get snacks? If that is the truth then why were some of them blindfolded?

They were driving in the WRONG direction to get snacks. As a matter of fact, the site of the crash was just past a Rite Aid.