Bowling Green Fraternity Brothers Sentenced in Hazing Death of Student

5 males convicted on costs referring to the March 2021 hazing demise of a 20-year-old Bowling Inexperienced State College scholar have been sentenced in Ohio on Thursday, with three of them receiving jail sentences of as much as 28 days.

The boys, who’re between the ages of 20 and 22, have been amongst eight who have been indicted in reference to the demise of Stone Foltz, a sophomore who died three days after attending an off-campus Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity initiation. Prosecutors stated he drank a liter of whiskey on the occasion.

Paul A. Dobson, the Wooden County prosecuting lawyer, stated that he was glad the courtroom agreed “that among the males concerned on this case wanted to see the within of a jail cell.” To lastly begin seeing the case come to a detailed, he added, was gratifying.

However Mr. Foltz’s dad and mom, Cory and Shari Foltz, stated in a press release launched Thursday that whereas the sentencing of the 5 males could also be a conclusion for some, there could be no closure for his or her household till hazing was “completely eradicated” on faculty campuses.

“Universities and Greek organizations should be held accountable,” they stated, including that it was not simply their very own son, however many different college students who had been “tragically injured or killed as a result of individuals in energy refuse to guard them.”

On March 4, 2021, Mr. Foltz, a enterprise main from Delaware, Ohio, attended what prosecutors described as a compulsory fraternity occasion, the place the brand new members, so-called “littles” or “little brothers” — most of them underage — have been every given a bottle of about one liter of liquor, which they have been anticipated to drink. In keeping with prosecutors, Stone Foltz “consumed a liter bottle of Evan Williams 86 proof bourbon.”

Later that night, he was taken to his house and left unconscious by a fraternity member, Jacob Krinn, and several other others, prosecutors stated. When paramedics arrived at Mr. Foltz’s house, his roommate was performing CPR, however Mr. Foltz was not respiratory, they stated. He was taken to Wooden County Hospital and later transferred to Toledo Hospital, the place he died on March 7.

The Lucas County coroner dominated his demise as “deadly ethanol intoxication throughout hazing incident.” Prosecutors stated that through the police investigation, a number of of the fraternity members lied to investigators and destroyed each bodily and digital proof.

The 5 defendants sentenced on Thursday in Wooden County Widespread Pleas Court docket had beforehand pleaded responsible to numerous costs that included reckless murder, hazing and tampering with proof.

On Thursday, Jarrett Prizel, 20, an assistant educator for brand new members of the fraternity, was sentenced to twenty-eight days in jail and two years of probation. Daylen Dunson, 22, the president of the fraternity chapter, was sentenced to 21 days in jail and three years of probation. Niall Sweeney, 22, the vice chairman of the fraternity, was sentenced to 14 days in jail and two years of probation.

Benjamin Boyers, 22, the fraternity’s sergeant-at-arms, was sentenced to 2 years of probation. Aaron Lehane, 22, who, together with Mr. Sweeney and Mr. Boyers, was a resident of the home the place the occasion befell, additionally acquired two years of probation.

The 5 males have been additionally sentenced to twenty-eight days of digital dwelling monitoring and 100 hours of group service.

In a press release launched on Thursday, prosecutors stated that the courtroom might have ordered jail time for all the defendants, excluding Mr. Lehane, however had “held that in reserve” pending profitable completion of their probation. The courtroom “suspended jail time over Mr. Lehane,” prosecutors added, pending his compliance with the phrases of his probation.

They stated that the defendants had cooperated with the prosecution of two of the opposite males convicted, Mr. Krinn and Troy Henricksen, together with testifying in opposition to them.

Mr. Krinn, 21 and Mr. Henricksen, 24, have been discovered responsible on counts of hazing and failure to adjust to underage alcohol legal guidelines. Mr. Krinn was additionally discovered responsible of obstructing official enterprise.

The 2 males, in addition to Canyon Caldwell, 22, who additionally pleaded responsible and testified on the trial, will probably be sentenced within the subsequent a number of weeks.

“The unhappy factor is there’s no winners on this scenario,” stated Rex Elliott, a lawyer representing Mr. Foltz’s dad and mom in a separate civil criticism in opposition to Bowling Inexperienced State College. “The Foltz household has misplaced their son, and these children that have been sentenced right now — it’s going to be on their information eternally.”

Mr. Elliott stated he deliberate to file the criticism subsequent week. The Pi Kappa Alpha hazing ritual, Mr. Elliott added, had been occurring for a number of years.

“It’s not a secret what it entails they usually did nothing to place a cease to it,” Mr. Elliott stated of the college.