The Washington State Court of Appeals ruled this week that Washington State University (WSU) is responsible for the 2019 hazing of a freshman.
This ruling marks the first time a Washington university has been held responsible for a hazing-related death.
Sam Martinez, 19, of Bellevue, died of alcohol poisoning while pledging to a WSU-recognized fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega.
According to court documents obtained by KIRO 7, a fraternity member gave Martinez and another “pledge” a pint of rum and told them to drink it within an hour during the fraternity’s annual Big Brother party.
According to the coroner, Martinez’s blood alcohol content was 0.372 at his autopsy.
Martinez’s parents filed a lawsuit in 2020, arguing that the university, the fraternity and others were responsible for their son’s death.
In 2022, a King County Superior Court judge dismissed the case against the university, writing that WSU did not owe a duty of care to Martinez.
However, this week’s appeal court decision overturned that ruling.
“Because WSU has a special relationship with its recognized fraternal organizations, we conclude that it has a duty to exercise reasonable care to monitor the fraternity and protect Sam from the foreseeable harms of fraternal hazing and alcohol abuse,” the Washington Court of Appeals, Division 1, wrote in its decision.
In 2021, the Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office charged 15 former members of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity in connection with Martinez’s death. Some were sentenced to probation, while others served prison sentences ranging from one day to 19 days. Only one defendant was charged with providing alcohol to Martinez.