Summary: A frat boy lost an eye during a drunken streaking accident.
Despite an anti-hazing rule in place, one Linfield College student said a frat ritual resulted in him losing an eye!
Student Kellen Johansen filed an $8.3 million lawsuit against Linfield and the fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha. He said that last February he participated in a hazing ritual where he was pressured to drink a ton of alcohol while underage before streaking through campus. While running naked, the fraternity’s president allegedly lit a firecracker which exploded and took out Johansen’s eyeball.
In his lawsuit, Johansen claims he sought treatment, but the eye was destroyed. It was removed and he now has a prosthetic, Fox News reported.
Johansen said that he wants damages for his permanent disfigurement which will hinder his future career prospects and earnings. He also wants his mother’s travel costs related to his medical care reimbursed.
The fraternity denied Johansen’s claims, stating they were not liable because the injury occurred during an informal gathering with Johansen, the president, and one other boy. They said that Johansen was warned to step away from the firework, but he kept approaching so that he could record the event on his cell phone.
It’s also noted that Johansen was not a pledge at the time of the accident. He had been a member of the frat for almost a year.
Linfield College said that they have a no-hazing policy and that the plaintiff was already back at school.
“This is a terrible accident,” Linfield College said in a statement. “Fortunately our student has been able to continue his studies, and we look forward to him returning to campus and successfully finishing his degree.”
- Related: Frat May Face Criminal Charges after Pledge’s Hazing Death
- Related: Penn State Frat Members Will Not Face Criminal Charges
Source: Fox News
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