Personal Injury Law

PLEDGES SICKENED BY RAW MEAT

Its not often an outbreak results in some instant justice.   But when 11 students at the University of Nevada Reno were diagnosed with campylobacter, a food-borne illness, the investigation quickly turned to the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

Here's the story from the Reno Review Journal:

A fraternity at the University of Nevada, Reno has been slapped with a two-year suspension for hazing.The university took the action after the local Alpha Tau Omega chapter was accused of hazing pledges by branding their buttocks with dry ice and making them eat raw poultry.

The hazing came to light in December after as many as 11 pledges sought treatment at the student health center after eating uncooked chicken or turkey, said Sally Morgan, the university's director of student conduct.

The pledges were diagnosed with campylobacter, a food-borne illness required to be reported to the county health department, Morgan told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

The students were questioned during a campus investigation in January when they returned from their winter break. Morgan said fraternity members used dry ice to etch the Greek letter omega, resembling an upside down U, on pledges' buttocks.

Oh and the fraternity is appealing the suspension.

Full post as published by Campylobacter Blog on February 26, 2008 (boomark / email).