Family of student who died after frat hazing to receive $1M from university, school says
The family of a freshman student who died after fraternity hazing will receive nearly $1 million from the Virginia university he attended, according to the school and media reports.
Adam Oakes, 19, died from alcohol poisoning in February 2021 after he was told to drink a bottle of whiskey at a Delta Chi fraternity event hosted by the organization’s chapter at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, The Associated Press reported.
Virginia Commonwealth University has agreed to pay the Oakes family $995,000 as part of a settlement approved in Fairfax County Circuit Court on Sept. 16, according to a university news release. This comes more than a year after Oakes’ death on Feb. 27, 2021.
“Adam was a beloved son, grandson, nephew, cousin, student and friend. He had a tremendous future ahead of him and his senseless death brought unspeakable pain and tragedy to all who knew him,” a joint statement from the family and the school said.
The evening of Feb. 26, 2021, Oakes arrived at a fraternity “big/little reveal night” after having accepted a bid from Delta Chi, according to the Love Like Adam Foundation, a nonprofit created in his memory. There, he was ordered to drink Jack Daniels.
The next day, deputies from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office arrived at Oakes’ family’s home to inform them that the student had died, according to the nonprofit.
After Oakes’ death, Delta Chi was expelled from Virginia Commonwealth University in June 2021, AP reported.
Additionally, five former fraternity members “pleaded guilty or were found guilty” of misdemeanor charges including hazing in connection with the Feb. 26 Delta Chi event, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. None of the men served time in jail.
Of the 11 fraternity members charged, one was Oakes’ “big brother” Andrew White who drank with the freshman during the event, according to WWBT.
White pleaded guilty to an unlawful hazing of a student charge and another charge of buying alcohol for someone under 21 in December 2021, Richmond City Circuit court records show.
The joint statement shared by Oakes’ family and the university said “our agreement honors his memory, and our goal is that it will help save lives in the future.”
As part of the agreement, Feb. 27 is designated as a hazing prevention day honoring Oakes’ memory and “the causes and circumstances of his tragic death,” according to the news release. A physical memorial in honor of Oakes will be created and established on campus.
Also as part of the agreement, alcohol will be banned at university fraternity and sorority events where new members are present, according to the university. There will also be stricter rules regarding serving and consuming alcohol at events sponsored, endorsed or organized by student organizations.
The agreement came days before National Hazing Prevention week, Sept. 19 through 23.
This story was originally published September 19, 2022 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Family of student who died after frat hazing to receive $1M from university, school says."
.jpg)