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Fraternity responsible, activist says
Fraternity responsible, activist says
By MICHELE BESSO / The News Journal
10/28/2004
A University of Delaware fraternity should be held responsible for the death of an underage student who was struck by a train Sept. 12 after leaving a fraternity party, the director of a group that advocates responsible use of alcohol said Wednesday.
The body of UD freshman Rachel Payne, 18, was discovered on the railroad trestle over Chapel Street near Cleveland Avenue at 6:25 a.m. Payne's blood-alcohol content was 0.236 percent, nearly three times the legal limit, according to toxicology reports.
A medical examiner ruled that Payne died of blunt trauma and acute alcohol intoxication. She was last seen around 1:30 a.m. at a party at the Alpha Tau Omega house on Courtney Street.
"In my opinion, the fraternity that allowed the underage students to attend the party had a responsibility to ensure their safety, and I would not be surprised if others reach the same conclusion," said Tracy Downs, director of the Building Responsibility Coalition, a group formed after the university received a grant in 1996 to curb binge drinking.
The fraternity did not provide the alcohol to Payne and has not been charged, police said. Payne's roommates said the alcohol came from a friend who bought it at a liquor store.
Kevin Blair, 22, a senior and vice president of Alpha Tau Omega, said Wednesday he was "surprised and shocked" by what happened to Payne. He said the fraternity always checks student identification at the door and students under 21 get a stamp on their hands. He said it's hard to enforce because some people rub the stamps off once they are inside.
Christine McDonald, 18, one of Payne's two Pencader dorm roommates, said the fraternity never checked their identification.
McDonald said she and her roommates took their own alcohol into the party by pouring a bottle of vodka into plastic water bottles.
"We are not allowed to provide alcohol at our parties," Blair said. "If a minor comes in with alcohol, he or she is not allowed to drink it, but nobody saw Rachel that night. Brothers walk around to check on people, but there were 400 people there. It's hard to determine if someone is extremely intoxicated."
Blair said the fraternity would have provided a safe ride for Payne if she had asked.
Police believe Payne was walking home from the fraternity house in the early hours of Sept. 12 and got lost near the tracks. Newark Police Chief Gerald Conway said he's unsure whether Payne stopped anywhere else.
Officials said Payne was struck by a train about 3:24 a.m., nearly two hours after leaving the fraternity party.
Stacy Maloney, an 18-year-old UD sophomore, said she has attended various fraternity parties, including some at Alpha Tau Omega.
"The student is responsible, as much as the fraternity," she said. "If you're underage, you can still get drinks and the brothers don't walk around checking on you. In fact, they are the ones often encouraging you to drink."
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