TOLEDO, Ohio — The alcohol-related hazing death last month of a Bowling Green State University student has been ruled an accident.
The Lucas County Coroner’s office announced Tuesday that Stone Foltz, 20, died from alcohol poisoning following the hazing incident.
Authorities have said members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity gave pledges bottles of alcohol on March 4 and encouraged each to finish an entire bottle. They included Foltz, who died three days later.
Foltz, a sophomore who was a business major, was found unconscious by a roommate after members of the fraternity dropped him off at his apartment, according to an attorney for Foltz’s parents. He was put on life support and died after his family arranged for his organs to be donated.
The university charged the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity with violating six code of conduct rules, including causing harm to others, hazing, and disrupting order or disregarding health and safety with alcohol. It also placed the chapter under interim suspension.
Alex Solis, the university’s spokesperson, told The Toledo Blade that during a meeting Tuesday with school administrators, Pi Kappa Alpha representatives “declined to move forward with a hearing” related to the charges. He said more information related to the waiving of the hearing would be released later this week.
The university brought on former U.S. Attorney David DeVillers to assist with the conduct investigation.
Foltz’s death inspired a renewed push for increased penalties for hazing in Ohio. Two Republican state senators said in March they would reintroduce a proposal to make alcohol- and drug-related hazing a felony if it causes serious harm to someone.
