Students In Hazing Incident Plead Guilty, Face Dismissal (Follow Up On Platsburgh)

moe.ron · #1 10-30-2003, 04:49 AM

POSTED: 10:26 p.m. EST October 29, 2003

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- Two Plattsburgh State students pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges stemming from the death of a student police say was forced to drink pitchers of water through a funnel while pledging a fraternity.

The guilty pleas came as officials at Plattsburgh State planned to announce that some of the 21 students involved in the hazing death of Walter Dean Jennings will be permanently dismissed from the school, a spokesman said.

Adam Atkinson, 21, of Hudson Falls, pleaded guilty to second-degree hazing, a violation, in Clinton County Court, the Press-Republican of Plattsburgh reported. William Farmer III, 21, of Rochester pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. He admitted forcing another pledge to drink excessive amounts of liquid until he vomited.

Farmer will be sentenced to three years probation in January. Atkinson will be sentenced Jan. 26. Christopher Colletti, 20, of Maybrook is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

The students involved in the incident are being charged by the college with affiliation with an unrecognized group, endangerment and hazing, all violations of the schools code of conduct, Plattsburgh State spokesman Keith Tyo told The Daily Gazette. The school's charges are separate from the criminal case.

A news conference is scheduled Thursday including SUNY Chancellor Robert King. It comes as a committee of campus presidents is preparing SUNY-wide proposals and state legislators prepare bills to increase prison terms for the crime of hazing.

Five other members of the Psi Epsilon Chi fraternity have already pleaded guilty to charges related to the death of Jennings, who police say was forced to drink pitchers of water through a funnel while pledging the fraternity, which had been suspended.

Eleven members of the fraternity faced more than 150 charges in the death of Jennings of Gansevoort, an 18-year-old Plattsburgh State freshman who died March 12 of water intoxication. An autopsy determined that the water in Jennings' body caused swelling of the brain.

The charges included criminally negligent homicide and first-degree hazing. The university does not recognize the fraternity because of past alcohol-related trouble.

Three Psi Epsilon Chi members are now expected to go to trial Nov. 5.
Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

hoosier · #2 11-01-2003, 10:02 PM

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Students punished for hazing
Updated: 10/31/2003 8:19 AM
By: Capital News 9 web staff

Plattsburgh State dismissed or disciplined 21 students Thursday in connection with the death of a student who was pledging a fraternity.

Ten were dismissed, four were suspended for the academic year, four others were given suspensions that they can appeal, and another three were placed on probation.

Walter Dean Jennings, 19, of Ganesvoort, was forced to drink pitchers of water through a funnel during the hazing process. He died of water intoxication in March.

The students faced a total of 119 violations of the student code of conduct, including affiliation with an unrecognized fraternity.

In Clinton County Court yesterday, Adam Atkinson pleaded guilty to second-degree hazing, a violation, and William Farmer pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor.

Tom Earp · #3 11-02-2003, 12:27 PM

This always seems to be the Problem with Risk Management.

At the time it seems so innocent, but in the end, it can be deadly.

Yes many of us look at the people who do this as just kids while others look at them as Young Men/Women.

The problem, is which is it?

I saw some things at My Chapter when I went back and while it was not a Chapter thing, it was of the individual who feslt so gleefull. I was not well like at the moment, but I may have stopped a tradgidy. For that I am very glad.

So what to do? Think, think, think. Act, act, act. It will be for the best!

hoosier · #4 11-05-2003, 11:11 PM

November 5, 2003, 9:20 PM EST
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- The last member of the Psi Epsilon Chi fraternity charged in the death of a Plattsburgh State student police say was forced to drink pitchers of water through a funnel admitted his part in the crime Wednesday.
Michael West, 21, of Saratoga Springs pleaded guilty to first-degree hazing, a misdemeanor. All 11 fraternity members charged in the March death of Walter Dean Jennings, 18, have admitted forcing either Jennings or fellow pledge Christopher Han to drink excessive amounts of water until they vomited.
Jennings, of Gansevoort, died of water intoxication. An autopsy determined that the water in Jennings' body caused swelling of the brain.
The fraternity members originally faced more than 150 charges in the case, including criminally negligent homicide.
Under terms of the plea agreements, all the members must pay $1,000 or $2,000 to participate in a film warning of the dangers of hazing and alcohol abuse. They are also required to cooperate with the prosecution of Psi Epsilon Chi Inc. and its chairman, Kevin Jones.
Last week Plattsburgh State dismissed 10 students and suspended four for the academic year for their alleged role in the death. Four others were given suspensions they can appeal, and another three were placed on probation.
Psi Epsilon Chi is not recognized by the school because of past alcohol-related trouble.
West will be sentenced Jan. 27. He is expected to receive three years probation.

moe.ron · #5 12-11-2003, 06:09 PM

Plattsburgh fraternity member sentenced
12/11/2003 12:50 PM
By: Capital News 9 web staff

A Plattsburgh State fraternity member was sentenced in the death of a pledge.

After reading a letter from Walter Dean Jennings' parents, Psi Epsilon Chi member Alex Fischer was sentenced to three years' probation Wednesday for his part in Jennings' hazing death.

The 18-year-old freshman died from water intoxication in March after fraternity members forced him to drink large amounts of water until he vomited.

Eleven members pleaded guilty to misdemeanors or violations for hazing Jennings and another pledge.

KellyB369 · #6 05-21-2004, 03:15 PM

PSU Students Convicted In Hazing Death Produce Video

POSTED: 1:41 am EDT May 20, 2004

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- Part of a plea deal for 11 Psi Epsilon Chi fraternity
brothers involved in the death of a Plattsburgh State pledge was to warn
others about the dangers of hazing.

The hour-long documentary that the group made showing footage of the
investigation and emotional testimony about the dangers of hazing was shown
for the first time on Wednesday night and will be shown again next Wednesday
on Mountain Lake PBS.

Police said freshman Dean Jennings was made to drink so much water during a
hazing ritual that he died of water intoxication.

Clinton County District Attorney Rich Cantwell hopes the video will be used
at colleges and high schools around the country, and said some have already
expressed interest in obtaining it.
___________________________________

Does anyone know if this is airing on PBS channels around the country?

RAVEGIRL · #7 06-01-2004, 01:35 PM

WHY ARE YOU ALL (GREEKS) CONTINUING TO LET THIS BULL GO ON? i THINK JUDGES SHOULD ACT AS THOUGH THE KID REALLY DIED AND SENTENCED THEM THAT WAY. YOU ALL HAVE TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS SOMEONES BROTHER/SON/NEPHEW.. HOW DO YOU TELL SOMEONES FAMILY YOU WANTED THEM TO BE A PART OF YOUR ORG SO YOU KILLED HIM????

decadence · #8 06-01-2004, 01:50 PM

RAVEGIRL, to address your points, leaving aside for a moment the issue that not everyone on the site is not necessarily Greek, you seem to be suggesting that brothers and sisters of fraternal organizations do not condemn these sort of behaviors. I'm not sure how you arrive at that conclusion.

Hazing is outlawed by every national organization to my knowledge, it is almost universally condemned but yes, a few renegade chapters do reflect on the overall Greek image - with tragic consequences for the individuals put at risk.

It would be irresponsible not to comment that there are two sides to every story, that what we hear about in the media isn't necessarily an accurate portrayal.

Though I hasten to add in this case there seems little doubt that the actions of these supposed 'fraternity men' led to the deaths of these students.

I'm not saying this site is necessarily representative of people in fraternities but please do not assume that fraternities offer great benefits but at a terrible price.

The actions of a small number of individuals are widely condemned, should not be allowed to continue and should be worked on through education and/or closure of fraternity or sorority chapters who clearly show they do not deserve to carry the title "brother".

My thoughts are with the families of the pledges who died.

DeltAlum · #9 06-01-2004, 01:51 PM

Ravegirl,

I don't see anything above that disagrees with you. I believe if you read through some of the other threads involving hazing that you will see that most organizations and most individuals are attempting to deal with these kinds of things.

In some ways we're doing well, and in some ways, not so good. But we are trying.

It is difficult, in organizations with hundreds of chapters and thousands of members, to police everyone.

The problems are not just Greek problems either. At my Alma Mater a couple of years ago, a freshman student got drunk at an off campus party (no Greek organization involved) and walked into a river and drowned.

But that is not to say, in any way, that we don't have those problems. I do think it's safe to say that we're more pro-active than many groups in trying to deal with them.

Kevin · #10 06-01-2004, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RAVEGIRL
WHY ARE YOU ALL (GREEKS) CONTINUING TO LET THIS BULL GO ON? i THINK JUDGES SHOULD ACT AS THOUGH THE KID REALLY DIED AND SENTENCED THEM THAT WAY. YOU ALL HAVE TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS SOMEONES BROTHER/SON/NEPHEW.. HOW DO YOU TELL SOMEONES FAMILY YOU WANTED THEM TO BE A PART OF YOUR ORG SO YOU KILLED HIM????

This is not something that happens in the vast majority of our chapters. The few that do as you can see above are handled by the authorities and the chapters are usually disbanded. Short of that, when you're dealing with organizations that have 200+ active chapters, short of camping out anti-hazing investigators in every single chapter, I don't know what more could be done.

Currently, at least in my organization, chapter members have to sit through a class every semester that goes over again and again what hazing is. It's something we in my chapter take VERY seriously. Our attitude is what you'll find in about 95% of GLO chapters in the US. We're winning the war against hazing. Unfortunately, the nature of the media is to report when things go wrong, and unfortunately, sometimes, things do go wrong.

Tom Earp · #11 06-01-2004, 06:05 PM

Kevin, you said that so well and spelled it out as well.

RAVEGIRL, this is something that Greeks have been fighting for years.

We all do not want to see our Names and Letters splashed on News Media for lack of using the brain that was given to us.

All of the Greek Organizations, (Nationals) have in place by laws to regulate this.

Mainly the reason being is the cost of Risk Management Insurance which costs each Chapter and The Nationals dealry

Could that money be better used for Chapter Education, Scholarships, National Cost for running a Very Large Organization, New House Building or Restoration?

Simple answer is yes.

Do we as Greeks like to see our Names in the Media for doing stupid things, getting Chapters kicked off of A Campus, or De-Chartered, NO!

preciousjeni · #12 06-01-2004, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tom Earp
At the time it seems so innocent, but in the end, it can be deadly.

How was that innocent??

decadence · #13 06-01-2004, 07:14 PM

preciousjeni, I think Tom was making more of a GENERAL comment on hazing rather than directing that comment to the article in this thread.

Individuals who haze probably - and sadly - DON'T see it as incredibly ill-advised with far reaching consequences but just something that seems 'innocent and optional'.

preciousjeni · #14 06-01-2004, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by decadence
preciousjeni, I think Tom was making more of a GENERAL comment on hazing rather than directing that comment to the article in this thread.

Individuals who haze probably - and sadly - DON'T see it as incredibly ill-advised with far reaching consequences but just something that seems 'innocent and optional'.

AH, I see. Thanx for clarifying.

Peaches-n-Cream · #15 06-01-2004, 07:28 PM

I am pretty sure that these guys didn't know you could die from drinking so much water. In that way it probably seemed innocent.