With undergraduate students across the country gearing up for back-to-school greek life rush events, parents Eric and Linda Oakes are still mourning the loss of their nineteen-year-old son, Adam.
In 2021, Adam was a freshman attending Virginia Commonwealth University when, during a traditional “big brother” pledging event, he was found dead on the Delta Chi fraternity house’s floor.
According to the Oakes, Adam had been invited to rush the fraternity, and, on the evening of February 27, he was “handed copious amounts of alcoholic drinks by Delta Chi brothers.”
Adam was reportedly forced to finish all of the beverages and passed out shortly afterward.
“They left him laying on the cold hard floor of the fraternity house to ‘sleep it off.’ But Adam would never wake up again and his first night as a Delta Chi pledge ended up being his last,” the Oakes said.
The following morning of February 28, Adam was tragically found still face-down on the floor with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.419– five times the legal limit. His cause of death was ruled ethanol toxicity, also known as alcohol poisoning, and the Commonwealth declared that Adam’s passing was a result of Delta Chi’s hazing.
A Growing Issue
Adam’s case is, unfortunately, far from an isolated incident. At least one hazing-related death has occurred on a U.S. college campus every single year since 1959 (except for 2020, when COVID-19 campus closures impeded greek life rush events).
GoFundMe; pictured above is Adam
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Moreover, the U.S. has suffered over one hundred hazing-related deaths in the past fifteen years alone– with six occurring in 2021. Now, parents Eric and Linda Oakes are pushing for the state of Virginia to take action through a bill known as Adam’s Law.
Right now, if a perpetrator hazes someone to the point of bodily harm or death in Virginia, they are charged with a Class One Misdemeanor– which comes with a maximum penalty of twelve months in jail and a two thousand and five hundred dollars fine. Adam’s Law hopes to change the repercussions for hazing from a misdemeanor to a felony. It also seeks to help greek life organizations protect young students via educational programs.
“But we need YOUR help and support of this bill in order to accomplish this!” the Oakes pleaded.
They have since created a Change.org petition encouraging students, parents, and lawmakers to back Adams Law. And so far, it has gained nearly one hundred and ten thousand signatures.
“I attend VCU and have seen first-hand the toxic culture of not only fraternities but sororities as well. No one should have to fear for their life or die in the name of friendship– and those people should be held accountable,” wrote one petitioner, Caeley Miller.
“Hazing is such a senseless and often reckless activity that often ends in tragedy. It is time to step up with stiff penalties to prevent and discourage this action,” agreed a second petitioner, Linda Cates.
To learn more about Adam’s Law and show your support, you can visit the Change.org petition linked here. There is also a GoFundMe that was created to help make a scholarship fund in Adam’s name.
“We will never have real justice for Adam and all the other Virginia students who have died senselessly. But, with this bill, we can ensure the health and safety of our children now and in the future,” the Oakes added.
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