Sheridan Hendrix and Mike Wagner
Columbus Dispatch USA TODAY NETWORK, July 7, 2021
PHOTO ON LEFT: Surrounded by lawmakers and the families of Collin Wiant and Stone Foltz, who both died during hazing incidents at universities in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday signed Ohio’s Anti-Hazing Act, also known as Collin’s Law. The bill is named after Collin Wiant, who died during a hazing incident in 2018 as a freshman at Ohio University. Foltz died of fatal alcohol poisoning during a hazing at Bowling Green State University, where eight members of a fraternity face criminal charges.
PHOTO ON RIGHT: Kathleen Wiant embraces Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday after he signed Ohio’s Anti-Hazing Act, or Collin’s Law, at the Statehouse in Columbus on Tuesday.
PHOTOS BY JOSHUA A. BICKEL/COLUMBUS DISPATCH
It had been two-and-a-half years since police knocked on the door in the middle of the night and told Kathleen Wiant she had lost her son, Collin.
She would soon learn his death was linked to hazing, and her life would become engulfed by a crusade to spare other parents from feeling her family’s agony.
It was a promise she made to Collin.
There was the ongoing legal fight, the battle to pass an anti-hazing law, public speaking engagements and the personal grieving that they know will never end.
But on Tuesday, the Wiants kept their promise to Collin – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed Collin’s Law: Ohio’s Anti-Hazing Act.
“I can think of no better way to honor Collin than with this law,” Kathleen said, with tears in her eyes. “Collin, I know you’re watching, and I hope we’ve made you proud.”
Collin’s Law makes Ohio the 11th state to make hazing a felony. The new law increases the legal penalties for hazing, creates a new statewide curriculum for college students about hazing, and requires more transparency at the university level to report instances of hazing.
“The Wiant family turned their pain into action,” DeWine said at the signing. “We simply in Ohio cannot tolerate hazing, and we’re saying with this bill that we will not tolerate hazing.”
Collin’s Law makes Ohio a model and leader in anti-hazing legislation, Kathleen said, and she can think of no better way to honor her son.
When Kathleen, Wade, and their four other children – Austin, Olivia, Aiden and Ava – sat down at the kitchen table days after Collin’s death to write his obituary, they made sure to include that he was someone who always stood up for the underdog.
Collin Wiant, an 18-year-old freshman at Ohio University, died of asphyxiation on Nov. 12, 2018, after inhaling a canister of nitrous oxide and collapsing in a fraternity’s off-campus house.
The bill was first introduced following the Dispatch’s six-part audio series “Broken Pledge” in November 2019.
The Dispatch spent a year investigating the death of Wiant, a St. Charles Preparatory High School student from Dublin, and what happened in the aftermath.
Kathleen and Wade Wiant worked closely with lawmakers on anti-hazing legislation since shortly after his death. A previous version of Collin’s Law passed through the Ohio House during the last General Assembly, but it stalled in a Senate committee in December 2020 before it could go to a full floor vote.
Then in March 2021, Foltz, a 20-year-old sophomore at Bowling Green State University, died of fatal alcohol poisoning after prosecutors say fraternity brothers demanded that he drink a full bottle of alcohol to join their fraternity.
Shari and Corey Foltz, Stone’s parents, have since joined the Wiants and other anti-hazing advocates in pushing for the law. They, too, were standing behind DeWine at the bill signing.
The renewed bill was introduced in March days after Stone’s death. After several hearings at the Statehouse and with DeWine’s continuing support, the bill was eventually passed unanimously in both the Ohio Senate and House.
Collin’s Law will go into effect 90 days from today, meaning it would officially become law in early October. DeWine said the Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner has already begun working with university presidents to create a statewide anti- hazing plan, as well as hazing awareness and prevention trainings.
Lawmakers wanted to pass Collin’s Law before their summer break so that it would be in place in the fall in hopes that it will act as a deterrent for hazing when fraternity and sororities start their annual recruitment of new members.
First and foremost, Collin’s Law makes criminal punishments more severe for those who haze and expands the definition of hazing in Ohio to include the forced consumption of drugs and alcohol.
Currently, in Ohio, hazing is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, which is comparable to not paying a speeding ticket.
Under Collin’s Law, general hazing will be increased to a second-degree misdemeanor, and any hazing involving drugs and alcohol will become a third-degree felony.
Third-degree felonies in Ohio typically carry sentences of nine to 36 months and up to $10,000 in fines. Second-degree misdemeanors can result in a 60-day sentence and up to $500 in fines.
Collin’s Law also expands the list of mandatory reporters required to report hazing incidents and creates a new penalty for those who fail to report.
Under the new law, failing to report a hazing offense involving physical harm would result in a first-degree misdemeanor charge. Offenders could be sentenced to 180 days in jail and up to $1,000 in fines.
Hazing has plagued universities across the nation for decades, but it was the deaths of Wiant and Foltz that increased public pressure to eliminate it in Ohio.
When Kathleen heard the news of Foltz’s death in March, she said she couldn’t help but feel partially responsible. “Had we gotten the bill through,” she asked, “would he still be here?”
DeWine said he believes Collin’s Law will be the legislation needed to create a real culture change when it comes to hazing.
“We can’t wait to get serious about this until we lose another child,” De-Wine said. “We’re going to get serious and say that hazing is wrong when there is no death, when everyone wakes up the next morning.”
DeWine said Ohio has zero tolerance for those who haze, and the goal is to “drive hazing to the ground.” When asked if fraternities and sororities need to be banned in Ohio to accomplish that, DeWine said that’s not his decision to make. It is, however, within the power of university presidents to consider if the benefits of Greek organizations outweigh the risks. “If a fraternity is hazing, they should pay the ultimate price and be kicked off campus,” DeWine said. “We have an opportunity now in our quest to end hazing. Let’s see this play out before we cross that next bridge.”
As joyous of a day it was to see this legislation signed, both the Wiant and the Foltz families said no amount of anti- hazing advocacy will bring their sons back.
“Do I want to be here? No, I want my son back,” Shari Foltz said. “Collin’s Law is a step in the right direction, and we will keep fighting this fight.”
shendrix@dispatch.com @sheridan120 mwagner@dispatch.com @MikeWagner48If
Anti-hazing law sails through House
Sheridan Hendrix
Columbus Dispatch USA TODAY NETWORK
In a Facebook post Friday morning, Kathleen Wiant wrote that she was “nervous as hell” to drive down to the Ohio Statehouse to see if the anti-hazing bill she had been advocating for the past two years would pass a vote on the House floor.
It had been close to becoming a state law in the last General Assembly, and Wiant said then that seeing the bill stall in a Senate committee was heartbreaking. She hadn’t come this far to see that happen again.
Her nerves finally subsided as she saw the final vote tallied up: Collin’s Law was unanimously approved by the Ohio House of Representatives.
Senate Bill 126, better known as “Collin’s Law: Ohio’s Anti-Hazing Act,” would create harsher penalties for hazing, a statewide curriculum for college students about hazing, and more transparency at the university level. With the full House’s approval, Collin’s Law is one step away from becoming state law.
In a rare act of bipartisan support, representatives twice stood and applauded Kathleen Wiant, who was sitting in the gallery during the session.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who has publicly endorsed stiffer criminal penalties for hazing, is expected to sign the bill into law as early as next week. Collin’s Law would make Ohio the 11th state in the nation to make hazing a felony.
“Hazing shall not and cannot be tolerated in any form,” said Rep. Haraz Ghanbari, a Republican from Perrysburg.
Ghanbari represents the Wood County community where officials say Bowling Green State University sophomore Stone Foltz died as the result of a hazing ritual in March. Collin’s Law was reintroduced days after Foltz’s death, sparking a new urgency among Ohio’s lawmakers to pass anti-hazing legislation.
Ghanbari noted that Collin’s Law was approved out of the House of Representatives’ Criminal Justice committee with zero opponents and was unanimously approved by the Senate last week.
Rep. David Leland, a Columbus Democrat, said that Collin’s Law will broaden the definition of hazing so that more people will be aware of its dangers and ultimately create a culture change.
“Everyone agrees that hazing is unacceptable and intolerable. It is something we don’t condone, It must never be excused or rationalized. it serves no end and serves no legitimate purpose. it is not justifiable and it is not harmless,” Leland said. “Hazing must stop, and for it to stop we must change the culture. We believe this legislation will change that culture.”
University officials and lawmakers said their hope is the harsher penalties would be a deterrent for college students returning to campus this fall and when Greek life organizations begin their annual recruitment activities.
The bill is named for Kathleen’s son, Collin Wiant, an Ohio University freshman from Dublin who died after collapsing on the floor of an unofficial, off-campus fraternity house on Nov. 12, 2018. His family later learned that he had been aggressively hazed in the weeks leading up to his death.
Kathleen and her husband, Wade Wiant, have worked closely with lawmakers on anti-hazing legislation since shortly after Collin’s death.
Collin’s Law would make criminal punishments more severe for those who haze and would expand the definition of hazing in Ohio to include the forced consumption of drugs and alcohol. Currently in Ohio, hazing is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, which is comparable to not paying a speeding ticket.
Under Collin’s Law, general hazing would be increased to a second-degree misdemeanor, and any hazing involving drugs or alcohol would become a third-degree felony. Third-degree felonies in Ohio typically carry sentences of nine to 36 months in prison and up to $10,000 in fines. Second-degree misdemeanors can result in a 60-jail sentence and up to $500 in fines.
A new penalty for failing to report a hazing offense involving physical harm would result in a first-degree misdemeanor charge. Offenders could be sentenced to 180 days in jail and up to $1,000 in fines.
The law also would create statewide anti-hazing education for college students and increase transparency by requiring schools to post an organization’s hazing infractions on their websites.
For Kathleen Wiant, the passage of Collin’s Law brought mixed emotions.
“I’m beyond thrilled we have this in place to protect Ohio students this fall and moving forward,” she said. “The reality that even this can’t bring Collin back is heartbreaking.”
shendrix@dispatch.com @sheridan120
‘This is and has been an epidemic’
Parents of BGSU victim testify for anti-hazing bill
Mike Wagner
Columbus Dispatch USA TODAY NETWORK
Since fraternity brothers demanded Stone Foltz drink alcohol to his eventual death, his parents have been besieged with messages from others who have suffered from hazing.
In support of proposed anti-hazing legislation, Shari and Cory Foltz told a group of state lawmakers at the Ohio Statehouse this week that the letters were too numerous to even count.
The notes and letters have come from current college students, people in their 60s and every generation in between.
They are from men and women living all over the country. They described being beaten or ordered to strip out of their clothes. They were forced to drink, take drugs and were threatened if they told anyone what happened. Their common bond is the humiliation that ruined parts of their lives and scarred them forever.
“For decades, kids continue to lose their lives, suffer serious injuries and experience lifelong emotional problems as a result of hazing,” said Shari Foltz. “Sadly, our story is not unique. This is and has been an epidemic, and the current laws are not deterring the activities.”
The Foltz’s emotional testimony in front of the Ohio Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee on Wednesday afternoon is part of their on-going crusade to help pass Senate Bill 126, which is also known as “Collin’s Law.”
The bill would expand the definition
of hazing in Ohio to include the forced consumption of drugs and alcohol, and would make the punishments more severe for those who haze. Currently in Ohio, hazing is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, which is comparable to not paying a speeding ticket.
Under Collin’s Law, that would be increased to a second-degree misdemeanor for general hazing and a thirddegree felony for any hazing involving drugs or alcohol.
It also would create statewide antihazing education for college students and require schools to post an organizations’ hazing infractions on their websites.
Hazing has plagued universities across the nation for decades, but it was the deaths of Collin Wiant and Stone Foltz that increased the urgency to eliminate it in Ohio.
Wiant, an 18-year-old freshman at Ohio University, died of asphyxiation on Nov. 12, 2018, after inhaling a canister of nitrous oxide and collapsing in a fraternity’s off-campus house. Foltz, a 20-year-old sophomore at Bowling Green State University, died of fatal alcohol poisoning on March 7 after fraternity brothers demanded that he drink a full bottle of alcohol to join their fraternity.
A different version of Collin’s Law failed in December when lawmakers ran out of time to make changes to the bill.
The legislation was first introduced following The Dispatch’s six-part audio series “Broken Pledge” in November 2019.
The Dispatch spent a year investigating the death of Wiant, a St. Charles Preparatory High School student from Dublin, and what happened in the aftermath.
But then Foltz, a 2019 graduate of Buckeye Valley High School in Delaware County, died in March. The renewed bill was introduced in April. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine supports the proposed bill and said through a spokesman that he looks forward to signing it into law.
During her testimony, Shari Foltz recounted some of the details of her son’s hazing death: On March 4, Stone and several other pledges, dressed in formal wear, were taken to an off-campus location.
If he didn’t go, he was told, he wouldn’t be allowed to join the fraternity he was pledging, Pi Kappa Alpha International, better known on campus as PIKE.
This was “Big Brother” night for the PIKE pledges.
The pledges were blindfolded with their own ties. They were pushed around so they would be disoriented and confused. They were divided and taken into separate rooms.
Their ties then were removed, and standing in front of each pledge was his “big brother.”
The big brothers each were holding a bottle of alcohol. The pledges were told they had to drink every drop or they would be out of the fraternity.
Stone finished his bottle of whiskey in less than 18 minutes and then was dropped off alone at his apartment.
His blood alcohol content level was 0.394, or almost five times the legal limit.
His roommate Wade McKenzie found him lying lifeless on the couch.
McKenzie described to the committee performing CPR on his friend in a desperate attempt to save his life.
He then asked the committee to do more to prevent others from suffering the same fate as Stone.
“Minor crimes are often broken without care due to absence of strict consequences,” McKenzie said. “Very few minor crimes have the ability to take a life. I have first-hand witnessed hazing take a life. Hazing is being treated as a minor crime but can lead to death.”
Cory Foltz told committee members that the bill is needed to serve as a real deterrent.
He said similar increased penalties have been successful in helping decrease the number of drunken driving accidents on the roads and have helped eradicate cheating in the military.
“Providing severe consequences for poor behavior has been how kids are parented for ages,” he said. “If serious harm, whether it is physical or emotional occurs, the consequences should be severe. Hazing is not allowed anywhere. There is no good reason for kids who haze another to death or serious injury to receive a slap on the wrist. Stiffer penalties will cause many to think twice before engaging in hazing.”
Cory Foltz also told the committee that the bill process is moving too slowly.
He and Shari, the Wiant family and many other parents fear there will be another year ahead of pledges being hazed if those in power don’t pass Collin’s Law.
“Please help us keep the promise his mother and I made to Stone on his death bed,” he said. “Stone, we love you and we will fight to the end of our days to help educate and provide visibility to other parents and students about the deadly impacts of hazing. We will do everything we possibly can to keep your memory alive and to never leave anyone behind.”
State Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, the committee chairman, told Foltz’s parents that they showed courage for their testimony and agreed that universities and others all must do more to combat hazing.
“It boggles the mind that these rituals are still around,” Johnson said. “Zero tolerance sounds good to me.”
The Dispatch recently produced two new chapters to its “Broken Pledge” series. To listen to the series please visit www.dispatch.com/brokenpledge.
mwagner@dispatch.com @MikeWagner48
JOSHUA A. BICKEL/COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Deaths go on amid anti-hazing fight
Mike Wagner and Sheridan Hendrix
Columbus Dispatch USA TODAY NETWORK
Collin Wiant and Stone Foltz couldn’t walk into the Ohio Statehouse and describe to those in power the horrors of hazing.
They couldn’t warn other college students about how hazing starts with the little things like cleaning rooms and buying groceries and then grows into something more sinister.
They couldn’t speak about the physical, mental, and emotional abuse they endured and that has left nearly 100 other college students dead nationwide since 2000.
Wiant, an 18-year-old freshman at Ohio University, died of asphyxiation on Nov. 12, 2018, after inhaling a canister of nitrous oxide and collapsing in a fraternity’s off-campus house.
Foltz, a 20-year-old sophomore at Bowling Green State University, died of fatal alcohol poisoning on March 7 after fraternity brothers demanded that he drink a full bottle of alcohol to join their fraternity.
But in mid-April, Tyler Perino spoke up for Wiant, Foltz, and all the others who have been victims of hazing.
Perino, a former Miami University student, testified in support of a proposed anti-hazing law called Collin’s Law, named in honor of Wiant, that could spare others in Ohio from the same fate.
Perino described in detail one of the nights he was brutally hazed along with 23 other pledges in March 2019.
He screamed in pain when a spiked paddle tore into his buttocks again and again. He was kicked in the chest when his weary arms couldn’t do another pushup. He was forced to keep drinking a full bottle of whiskey even after he continued to vomit.
He feared he was going to die before he blacked out alone in his room.
While in the hospital being treated for his wounds and severe alcohol poisoning, he received a text from the fraternity president telling him to keep his mouth shut about the hazing.
“Sadly, a culture of hazing has taken hold, and in too many organizations and campuses throughout our state, it’s often embraced as tradition,” said Perino, who has since transferred to the University of Toledo. “Young people accept it and then go on to be perpetrators of it. Some even feel like it’s an important part of their growth to adulthood. It has to stop, but it won’t be easy, given the traditions and culture that exist in our state. It will take strong penalties, enforcement, education and training.”
Hazing has plagued universities across the nation for decades, but it was the deaths of Wiant and Foltz that increased the urgency to eliminate it in Ohio.
State lawmakers are still debating Senate Bill 126, the official name of Collin’s Law, which would expand the definition of hazing in Ohio to include the forced consumption of drugs and alcohol and would make the punishments more severe for those who haze. Currently in Ohio, hazing is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, which is comparable to not paying a speeding ticket.
Under Collin’s Law, that would be increased to a second-degree misdemeanor for general hazing and a third-degree felony for any hazing involving drugs or alcohol.
A different version of Collin’s Law failed in December when lawmakers ran out of time to make changes to the bill.
But then Foltz, a 2019 graduate of Buckeye Valley High School in Delaware County, died in March. The renewed bill was introduced in April.
State Sen. Stephanie Kunze, a Republican from Hilliard and the bill’s sponsor, and other lawmakers believe the proposed law will have a better chance of passing because a more complicated anti-bullying act isn’t attached to it, as it was in the last version.
The bill was first introduced following the Dispatch’s six-part audio series “Broken Pledge” in November 2019.
The Dispatch spent a year investigating the death of Wiant, a St. Charles Preparatory High School student from Dublin, and what happened in the aftermath. The newspaper interviewed dozens of people and reviewed court records, police reports and recordings of disciplinary hearings to illuminate the dangers of hazing and the secrecy that surrounds it.
Shortly after the Dispatch series published, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called for Ohio to join about 10 other states that have made hazing a felony offense.
After Foltz died, DeWine called Foltz’s death “senseless and preventable” and was visibly upset that Ohio had lost another college student to hazing.
“Governor DeWine looks forward to signing this bill,” said Dan Tierney, the governor’s press secretary. “And he looks forward to signing it as soon as possible.”
Hank Nuwer, the nation’s leading expert on hazing and author of “Hazing: Destroying Young Lives,” believes that laws such as the one Ohio is debating can save lives and help prevent the abuse of thousands of others.
Nuwer, who has been tracking U.S. hazing deaths for decades, estimates there have been nearly 100 hazing deaths at American colleges since 2000.
He says that passing legislation such as Collin’s Law would be an important step.
But it will take more than a law to snuff out hazing, he said.
It will take universities educating their students on the dangers of hazing and cracking down on student organizations that put members’ safety and well-being at risk.
It will take parents such as Kathleen and Wade Wiant, and Cory and Shari Foltz, sacrificing their time and tears to push for change at the state and federal levels.
It will take people such as Perino and other Greek life members to break their code of silence and to share the horrors of hazing they endured.
“It will take leadership by lawmakers, university officials and the fraternity organizations to stop something that has been happening in America since 1874,” Nuwer said. “The hazing deaths are a tragedy, and it’s important to remember thousands more every year suffer devastating, life-altering consequences from this senseless behavior.”
In the two new chapters for its Broken Pledge series, The Dispatch follows the Wiants’ tireless journey to combat hazing and to lobby for a law that they hope will spare other families their enduring pain. The second new chapter details the life and death Foltz and how his family was thrust into the fight against hazing just days after his funeral.
Fighting for Collin
There was so much to learn about politics and the legal system and all the red tape that can bog down a new law.
And Kathleen Wiant had no experience with any of it.
Only the fuel of a grieving mother determined to fight hazing in her son’s memory. After all of her work, all of the prayers and the excitement over a bill that had bipartisan support, Kathleen’s big day had arrived. She was ready to testify in front of the lawmakers.
“Collin’s death was senseless, senseless, and it was tragic,” she told them. “But what is most painful to me is that it was avoidable.”
The people in the room could feel Kathleen’s anguish.
It had been more than two years since Collin had died, but the pain in her eyes was fresh.
She could see the emotion on the committee members’ faces.
They seemed to receive her message as parents more than politicians.
But after a brief delay, the committee began proceedings on a different bill.
There was confusion, then panic.
What just happened?
Why aren’t they voting on Collin’s bill? Is it over?
Kathleen stepped out into the hallway and was asking questions of anyone she could find.
The bill was dead.
And 80 days later, hazing would take the life of another Ohio college student.
‘Don’t go’
On the night of March 3, Stone Foltz texted his mom, Shari, and told her there was a drinking ritual planned at his fraternity house for the next night.
Stone didn’t want go. “That just sounds stupid,” Shari texted. “Don’t go.”
But Stone told his mom he had no choice.
If he didn’t go, he wouldn’t be allowed to join the fraternity he was pledging, Pi Kappa Alpha International, better known on campus as PIKE.
The next night, Stone and several other pledges, dressed in formal wear, were taken to an off-campus location.
This was “Big Brother” night for the PIKE pledges.
The pledges were blindfolded with their own ties.
They were pushed around so they would be disoriented and confused.
They were divided and taken into separate rooms.
Their ties were then removed, and standing in front of each pledge was his “big brother.”
The big brothers were each holding a large bottle known as a “handle” of hard liquor.
Each bottle contained nearly 60 ounces – about 40 shots.
The pledges were told they had to drink every drop or they would be out of the fraternity.
The event started around 9 p.m. Stone’s big brother dropped him off at his apartment at 10:22 p.m.
Stone was left alone for about 30 minutes.
His roommate found him lying lifeless on the couch.
Back in Delaware County, Shari was awakened around midnight by the family dog, which wanted to go outside.
She then saw she had a text from one of Stone’s friends saying there was trouble.
And she had missed a call from an unknown number, so she dialed it.
A woman from the Wood County Sheriff’s Office told her that paramedics had performed CPR on Stone and he had gone into cardiac arrest.
She knew, in that moment, that something happened at that drinking ritual.
She knew it was hazing.
Three days later, Stone was dead.
mwagner@dispatch.com @MikeWagner48 shendrix@dispatch.com @sheridan120
FRED SQUILLANTE/COLUMBUS DISPATCH
ERIC ALBRECHT/COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Follow the link below to view the article:
https://dispatch-oh.newsmemory.com?publink=3ed9914c7_1345d79
Brothers,
We need you to tell Congress that the time is now to pass the END ALL Hazing Act.
Alleged hazing incidents, the deaths of Stone Foltz at Bowling Green State University and Adam Oakes at Virginia Commonwealth University are a reminder of the urgency needed. We must be clear that hazing is a betrayal of the fraternal vows to which every member commits and has no place in any student organization on any campus. When hard alcohol is added to the mix, it is a formula for tragedy.
With 50% of college students exposed to hazing in high school, it is a critical issue facing campuses today across all student organizations, marching bands, and athletics.
The END ALL Hazing Act requires each institution of higher education that receives federal student aid to maintain and update biannually a website page that discloses student organization violations of the institution’s code of conduct that threaten the safety of students. The report would detail the corrective measures imposed by the school on the student organization. This would allow students and parents to make more informed decisions about which student organizations are safe to join. States such as South Carolina and Pennsylvania have already adapted similar laws, but it would be more effective for federal law to include these disclosures to cover all schools.
We must move quickly to pass this critical legislation.
The END ALL Hazing Act is supported by the Anti-Hazing Coalition which includes families of hazing victims who partner with the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), National APIDA Panhellenic Association (NAPA), National Multicultural Greek Council (NMGC), Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV), HazingPrevention.Org, Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors and other organizations committed to eradicating hazing.
Visit us online at sigmapi.org
Collin Wiant, a freshman at Ohio University from Dublin, died after collapsing on the floor of an unofficial, off-campus fraternity house on Nov. 12, 2018. A coroner ruled that Wiant died of asphyxiation due to nitrous oxide ingestion after he inhaled a canister of the gas, also known as a whippit. His parents, Kathleen and Wade Wiant, have become anti-hazing advocates and worked closely with legislators on the bill.
Just days after the second anniversary of Collin Wiant’s death, an anti-hazing bill bearing his name was approved in the Ohio House.
Legislators passed House Bill 310, also known as Collin’s Law: The Ohio Anti-Bullying and Hazing Act, on Thursday. It is expected to move to the Senate after Thanksgiving.
Collin’s Law would strengthen consequences for acts of bullying and hazing, making it one of the most-comprehensive laws of its kind in the country, said sponsor Rep. David Greenspan, R-Westlake. Greenspan said the bill also would bring much-needed consistency across the state when dealing with allegations of bullying and hazing.
Wiant, a freshman at Ohio University from Dublin, died after collapsing on the floor of an unofficial, off-campus fraternity house on Nov. 12, 2018. A coroner ruled that Wiant died of asphyxiation due to nitrous oxide ingestion after he inhaled a canister of the gas, also known as a whippit. His parents, Kathleen and Wade Wiant, have become anti-hazing advocates and worked closely with legislators on the bill.
The Dispatch spent much of last year investigating hazing on college campuses and in other areas of society. In the spring of 2019, the newspaper found that only five hazing charges had been filed in at least 25 years in the courts near Ohio’s largest universities. The newspaper then spent months investigating the death of Wiant.
The calls for tougher laws and reforms came after The Dispatch published a six-part digital series, Broken Pledge, that detailed the severe hazing, life and death of Wiant.
Under the bullying section, the bill would require allegations of hazing of or by students in fourth- through 12th-grades to be investigated by the school district.
If a student were identified as a bully, that person would serve a disciplinary period up to 10 days. Bullies would not be allowed to participate in extracurriculars during that time. The student also could be required to participate in a community service related to his or her offense. The bill also encourages schools to offer tutoring, academic support and counseling services to both bullies and victims.
Greenspan said that under the bill, the definition of who is identified as a bully and the victim of bullying are expanded to include adults, such as teachers, staff members and parents.
On the hazing front, Collin’s Law would expand the definition of hazing in Ohio to include the forced consumption of drugs and alcohol.
Most notably, Greenspan said, the bill increases the criminal penalties for hazing, which in Ohio is now a fourth-degree misdemeanor, comparable to not paying a parking ticket. Under Collin’s Law, that would be raised to a second-degree misdemeanor for general hazing and a third-degree felony for any hazing involving drugs or alcohol.
“These types of activities taint the overall purpose of these groups’ missions,” Greenspan said. “It diminishes the value of what these groups – these teams, these fraternities and sororities – set out to do.”
Ohio would become the 11th state in the nation to make hazing a felony charge if the Senate passes the proposed law and it’s signed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
“This important passage puts Ohio on the short list of states that take hazing seriously enough to impose a felony with lifetime consequences for the hazers,” said Hank Nuwer, a professor emeritus at Franklin College in Indiana, who tracks hazing deaths and is the author of “Hazing: Destroying Young Lives.”
“It could help save a life, but it won’t stop hazing. It’s an important step toward addressing the problem and gives national fraternity and school leaders an important cudgel to hold over the heads of hazers who ignore basic human decency and personal safety.“
Nuwer said there have now been 92 hazing-related deaths in the United States since 2000. Nuwer said there have been thousands of others who have suffered mental and physical abuse, been forced to leave campuses or live in fear of retribution from those in Greek life if they tell anyone they were hazed.
Ohio University began investigating and suspending Greek organizations for hazing before the Dispatch series was even published. Sigma Pi, the fraternity Collin had rushed, was permanently banned from OU.
DeWine was among the first to call for the state to make hazing a felony and called up universities to do more to stop the dangerous behavior in Greek life.
Kathleen Wiant said she hopes that Collin’s Law is further strengthened in the Senate to increase all hazing penalties to a felony and force colleges and universities to increase hazing education and transparency.
“If we had known what Sigma Pi was doing, we would’ve said ‘no way’,” Kathleen Wiant said. “Collin would 100% be alive today.”
We’re going to keep fighting no matter what,” Wade Wiant said. “I just hope Collin is looking down on us and is proud of all we’re doing.” shendrix@dispatch.com
@sheridan120 mwagner@dispatch.com
@MikeWager48
by Sheridan Hendrix
The Columbus Dispatch USA TODAY NETWORK
Wiant
The last two former members of Sigma Pi fraternity at Ohio University charged in connection with the death of pledge Collin Wiant pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to multiple charges.
Joshua T. Androsac, 20, of Lewis Center, entered a guilty plea to one count each of misdemeanor negligent homicide, misdemeanor hazing, felony permitting drug use, felony trafficking cocaine and two counts of felony trafficking harmful intoxicants.
Corbin M. Gustafson, 22, of Furlong, Pennsylvania, entered a guilty plea to one count of permitting drug use, a first-degree misdemeanor. Gustafson had originally been charged with one count of reckless homicide.
Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said on the night of 18-year-old Wiant’s death in November 2018, Androsac purchased 100 canisters of nitrous oxide, also known as “whippits.” The small containers of nitrous oxide are intended for home use in charging whipped cream bottles, but often are used as an inhalant to get high.
Androsac went to the fraternity’s annex house at 45 Mill Street in Athens, where he gave Wiant a whippit, Blackburn said.
Wiant, a freshman from Dublin, died shortly after collapsing inside the annex house. A coroner ruled that Wiant died of asphyxiation due to nitrous oxide ingestion. The Dispatch published a six-part, award-wining investigation, “Broken Pledge,” that detailed the hazing and death of Wiant.
Blackburn and assistant county prosecutor Meg Saunders said the Sigma Pi case is unlike most criminal cases that come before the court because of how much information and how many parties are involved.
As the prosecutor’s office received more information after the original indictments, prosecutors said it became clear that Gustafson should not have been charged with reckless homicide.
Gustafson and Androsac were both with Wiant when he died.
When Wiant collapsed after inhaling the whippit, it was originally believed that Gustafson first called then-Sigma Pi president Elijah Wahib to get permission to call 911, then waited several minutes before doing so, according to phone records obtained as part of the investigation.
Saunders said it was later revealed that Gustafson left the room to ask his friends at the annex house if Wiant’s behavior was unusual during the time between when he collapsed and when Gustafson called 911.
“If we had had those facts, I don’t think we would’ve given to the grand jury that (reckless homicide) charge,” Saunders said. “It’s so unfortunate that Mr. Gustafson was indicted this way. It’s unfortunate for the Wiants, too.”
Wednesday’s hearings were conducted partly over Zoom video teleconference due to the coronavirus pandemic. Gustafson called in from Pennsylvania with his attorneys, and Androsac was in the courtroom.
Gustafson will participate in the Athens County Prosecutor’s office diversion program as a result of his plea.
Athens County Common Pleas Court Judge George McCarthy said he would agree to the plea change, “but quite begrudgingly.”
McCarthy told Gustafson that while he appreciates him calling 911, “had it been a little more timely then maybe it would’ve made a difference.”
“It was too little too late in this particular circumstance,” the judge said.
In addition to the diversion program, McCarthy required Gustafson to visit four civic organizations to share his story in hopes that the experience would prevent other students from meeting the same fate as Wiant.
Gustafson apologized to the Wiants for his part in Collin’s death. He said that he lives with what happened that night every day, and he promised the Wiants that he would work to make a difference and live the rest of his life in a manner honoring their son.
Athens County Common Pleas Court Judge Patrick Lang sentenced Androsac to 70 days in jail for his misdemeanor charges. Sentencing on Androsac’s remaining felony charges will be held in abeyance pending the completion of a diversion program.
An emotional Androsac apologized to the Wiants and asked for their forgiveness.
“I was graced to know your son. You raised a hell of a son. I’m so sorry for taking your son from you,” Androsac said through tears.
Kathleen and Wade Wiant, Collin’s parents, both made brief statements via Zoom during the hearings.
Kathleen thanked Gustafson for calling 911. Wade asked that Gustafson let the sadness he feels from Collin’s death become a catalyst for change in his life.
Both Kathleen and Wade noted the irony during Androsac’s hearing that two years ago they were helping Collin move into his dorm at Ohio University.
“We had no idea this would be the beginning of the end of his life,” Kathleen said.
The Wiants asked Androsac to use this moment to learn from this experience and use his truth to change the lives of others.
“We as a family pray that the defendant use this opportunity to change his life and move froward,” Wade said. “This is his chance to pay his debt to Collin, but more importantly, to God.”
Divestiture of the Mitchell House
By Emily Norton
In 2013, Sigma Pi purchased and acquired The Mitchell House, a historically registered property located in Lebanon, TN, from Cracker Barrel for $1,000,000. The intent of the property was to serve as the Fraternity’s Executive Office. Since that time, funding to support the annual cost of the building has been based on the fees and dues of the undergraduate chapters, as inadequate planning was done for deferred maintenance and capital acquisition to support those efforts. Therefore, the Grand Council voted to sell the Mitchell House and utilize the proceeds to enhance the education and consultation services expected, and in some cases necessary, for chapters, advisory boards, alumni clubs, and housing corporations. Below will outline some brief context into the rationale and process involved during this decision. After the departure of then-CEO Mike Ayalon (Buffalo ‘94) in September of 2015, a memo was sent to the Grand Council from the now-former Director of Finance indicating a shortage of funds to be able to properly operate the organization. Since that time, the men who served, and those who continue to serve on the Grand Council, had to make difficult decisions managing the finances and operations of Sigma Pi so we achieve our goal of providing a world-class fraternal experience for members. Beginning in August of 2016, the Grand Council chaired by PGS Steve Lawler (Iowa ‘82) established the Strategic Finance Review Committee Chaired by PGS Ed Panconi (Loyola Marymount ‘82). The report of that committee highlighted various financial decisions undertaken since 2000. Due to the work of that committee and its report submitted in July 2017, in addition to looking at the future of Sigma Pi, the Grand Council conducted a CEO search in which CEO Jonathan M. Frost (UMSL ‘99) was hired to not only improve the financial condition of Sigma Pi but also to maximize the membership experience. After months of discussion and continued analysis (including informal discussions in September 2018 with Sigma Pi Educational Foundation Chairman Ricky Marshall (Arkansas State ‘88) involving the potential for the SPEF to purchase the property) Grand Sage Joe Palazzolo (Monmouth ‘00) named PGS Lawler as Chairman of the Mitchell House review committee in December of 2018. This committee was created to verify the impact of the property on the Fraternity’s ability to provide the resources necessary for educating and supporting our chapters, advisory boards, alumni clubs, and housing corporations. Part of this research has shown that discussions taking place amongst the Grand Council members at the time, prior to the acquisition of the property and their concerns then, are the same concerns today – the property consumes a great deal of annual capital that greatly depletes the Fraternity’s resources and limits the value-added experience of the organization. Based on this research, on April 6, 2019, the Grand Council authorized CEO Frost to sell the Mitchell House. CEO Frost successfully negotiated a sale to the City of Lebanon and on May 17, 2019, the parties signed a contract for $1,150,000. This decision will allow for the re-allocation of nearly $70,000 annually to be used for educational programming and services, in addition, to build the long-term operating reserve to a minimum of six months. One aspect of concern throughout this process for the Grand Council and CEO Frost was the Veterans Memorial that was funded and built by over 50 alumni and friends of Sigma Pi. Thanks to the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding, the Veterans Memorial will be allowed to remain and be cared for on the Mitchell House property, until a new location is determined. Discussions are being led with Vincennes University by alumnus Brian Alley (Vincennes ‘01) who has strong relationships with the leadership at Vincennes, to seek to relocate the memorial to and place it next to the Sigma Pi Clocktower already established on their campus. In order to allow time for improvements in the capital position and educational services, the Fraternity will be leasing office space for a minimum of five years. During this time leadership of Sigma Pi will conduct research to determine the best location for a headquarters that will meet current and future needs of Sigma Pi. The focal point of the discussions revolved around maximizing membership value. This value-added experience is based on the services provided, which empowers local leadership and advisors to be effective and efficient in ensuring a strong local chapter. We are positioning ourselves to have the resources necessary to enhance our organizational value and invest in the development of our members. Sigma Pi is stronger when its chapters, Advisory Boards, Alumni Clubs, and Housing Corporations are operating at maximum efficiency and ensuring a positive experience for their members. For additional information that was used for this decision please visit www.mysigmapi.org, log in and find a more detailed report and the financial statements to understand this decision. The new address of the Executive Office will be 1101 Kermit Drive, Suite 730, Nashville, TN 37217. This location is less than 15 minutes from both downtown Nashville, and the Nashville International Airport (BNA). The move will be effective on August 15th.
Reference: https://theemerald.org/2019/07/16/divestiture-of-the-mitchell-house/
(Posted on July 16, 2019)
More information also available at https://www.wilsonpost.com/community/lebanon-purchases-mitchell-house-for-city-use/article_bc6c254c-773a-11e9-b227-9f9af4bf60ca.html