Documents show hazing, alcohol incidents at Mizzou before and beyond Danny Santulli
Two months before the Pledge Dad Reveal Night at Phi Gamma Delta that left Danny Santulli with brain damage and no ability to speak, walk or talk, the Fiji international headquarters sent its investigation of a previous incident to the University of Missouri.
The stated aim of the fraternity investigation was "to determine and eliminate the root of hazing in our chapter."
The fraternity had been cited for hazing in the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021, according to documents obtained by the Tribune through a public records request. Phi Gamma Delta remained on disciplinary probation until September 2022, by which time it would be gone from campus.
The Tribune received from the University of Missouri public records dating back to 2018 related to the discipline of Greek organizations. Because of the time frame, some of the more than 1,500 pages of documents related to violations of COVID protocols.
'Bystander effect' present in fraternity
Fraternity members were interviewed for the fraternity investigation.
"It became clear that there were members who were directly participating in misconduct, but many who believed it permissible to perform these acts," reads the Aug. 18, 2021 document. "A tightly-knit brotherhood, as indicated by our extremely high score on the Phi Gamma Delta survey (along with a high tolerance for hazing as opposed to other chapters) seems to be indicative of a 'bystander effect' within our chapter, where members remark that they believe hazing is wrong, but fail to act on their beliefs and stand up to offenders when necessary."
An optimistic tone for a turnaround presented in the document didn't materialize.
A little over two months later, Santulli would collapse at the fraternity's Pledge Dad Reveal Night and be tossed unconscious on a couch. Eventually, fraternity members loaded him into a waiting car and took him to the emergency department of University of Missouri Hospital, where health professionals struggled to revive him.
Santulli now lives at his parents' home in Minnesota; they care for him around the clock.
UM System president calls elimination of hazing a 'work in progress'
There's a long history of hazing and alcohol abuse in Greek houses at the University of Missouri — and it likely won't end with Santulli. Mun Choi, University of Missouri System president and MU chancellor, said this week that the university hasn't eliminated hazing.
"I don't think any university has eliminated hazing," Choi said during a news conference after a Board of Curators meeting. "It is a continuing work in progress."
It takes constant effort at education and setting and example, he said.
"Hazing is not acceptable," he said.
Incidents of hazing and alcohol abuse on campus with University of Missouri Greek organizations
There were 15 incidents of hazing or alcohol abuse during the time frame beginning in 2018 and ending in 2021. There were six alcohol violations, 12 hazing violations and three with both.
Eleven Greek organizations were disciplined: Alpha Tau Omega, Beta Sigma Psi, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Delta Sigma Theta, Delta Tau Delta, Delta Upsilon, Farmhouse, Gamma Phi Beta, Phi Gamma Delta and Sigma Chi.
Beta Sigma Psi had three violations, while Alpha Tau Omega and Phi Gamma Delta had two each. The Delta Kappa Epsilon and Delta Tau Delta violations were related to alcohol but didn't involve hazing.
Sigma Chi closed its MU fraternity chapter in 2019, with no explanation from the national fraternity or the university.
The documents show Sigma Chi in the fall of 2018 was cited in an incident involving forgery, obstruction, physical abuse, alcohol violations and hazing. A Dec. 21, 2018, letter from Julie Drury, director of the office of student accountability and support, notified the chapter that its recognition would be withdrawn unless it successfully completed outcomes including implementation of a restorative justice program.
Delta Upsilon violations in these documents were from Sept. 30, 2021, less than a month before Danny Santulli would be hazed at Phi Gamma Delta.
More:Report details family's extensive care for Danny Santulli since Mizzou Fiji hazing
One account from the documents reads, verbatim: "These boys were solicited to move into the DU (Delta Upsilon) house as a freshman without parental consent. After moving in they were hazed with alcohol and break ins. Causing loss of sleep and mental anguish. On September 5, their room was broke into with smashed alcohol bottles everywhere, damaging person property and floors. Video has been turned over to Chapter Advisory chair, Jeff Kreutz and chapter advisor, Chuck Hatley. As hazing - people being force to drink until vomiting/passing out - has been going on for years and continues to happen."
That fraternity's disciplinary probation just ended on Feb. 1.
The Interfraternity Council in March 2018 suspended all new member activities for two weeks at all 29 chapters during investigations into hazing allegations. At the time, Sigma Pi and Delta Upsilon had been suspended for two years over incidents, including one where a woman fell and hit her head at her dorm after leaving the Delta Upsilon house.
The three violations at Beta Sigma Psi came in 2018 in quick succession; on Sept. 12, Sept. 29 and Oct. 11. The first and third violations involved hazing, but not alcohol, while the second violation was an alcohol violation, but not hazing.
Described on its website as a national Lutheran college fraternity, it also was threatened with loss of recognition unless it fulfilled its requirements. It came off disciplinary probation on Feb. 1, 2020.
The two hazing violations for Alpha Tau Omega came more than three years apart, on Sept. 13, 2018, and Nov. 14, 2021. The second was less than a month after Danny Santulli was hazed at Phi Gamma Delta.
Here's an account from a witness to the 2021 violation:
"I was notified at 2:30 a.m. within my chapter group chat about ATO members requesting trash from NashVegas to take to their house and throw all over in order to "f**k with their new members." I did not know ifthis until I woke up this morning, but I then proceeded to ask questions about why they would do such athing? I then proceeded to get more information that they were requiring their associate members to clean itup and that the members would have to be there until the whole house was spotless. I was also notified thatthey broke their own cleaning supplies and etc to make it more difficult."
The university expelled six students over the incident.
Alpha Tau Omega describes itself as a leadership development fraternity on its website.
The Tribune attempted to contact local or national personnel with Alpha Tau Omega and Beta Sigma Psi, but there was no immediate response.
More:Attorney in Santulli hazing case: defense trying to 'deposition cases to death'
Documents show details of Fiji investigation after Danny Santulli's hazing
Several documents related to the Santulli hazing were provided, including the family's civil lawsuit.
Included is a March 4, 2021, communication to Julie Drury, assistant dean of students, from Rob Caudill, executive director of Phi Gamma Delta international.
"I am writing to inform you that the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta has formally closed its Chi Mu Chapter at the University of Missouri, effective Feb. 25, 2022," Caudill wrote. "This follows the temporary suspension imposed on Oct. 20, 2021, which ceased all chapter activity at that time."
Communication from an outraged observer also was included.
"Why are the members seen in this video still allowed to be attending Mizzou? Why have you done nothing?And his sister gets to walk around and see them on campus? They violated alcohol policies, hazing policies,harassment policies, etc. And please do not give me a basic 'we are investigating,' the proof is right there.I will be reaching out to more news sources, and influencers on TikTok to make sure the school isbombarded with these requests unless something is done and those involved are expelled."
There's an Oct. 21, 2021 email from Drury to a recipient whose name is redacted seeking a meeting "to discuss the events from Tuesday night." The recipients couldn't be confirmed but based on the response, it appears to be to Santulli's parents.
"Dear Julie, I appreciate your urgency with this matter and for your reaching out," the response reads. "My family has hired legal counsel and I was told not to make any comments/communication at this time. Thank you."
Settlements in the civil lawsuits are paying for Danny Santulli's long-term care.
MU has disciplined 13 students over Santulli's hazing, but the form of discipline hasn't been made public and wasn't included in the documents.
Now, 10 Fiji members are charged with felony hazing and another is charged with misdemeanor hazing. A defense attorney revealed in a court hearing last week that the prosecution plans to seek trials against two defendants against whom it has the strongest cases.
The only acceptable settlement for the rest would be guilty pleas, said Santulli family attorney David Bianchi.
"That would be okay as long as they're all guilty pleas," Bianchi said of the plan to try two defendants. "They all violated the statute. They need to be meaningful settlements."
The hazing continues to happen because there are no consequences, he said.
"All we ever see are slaps on the wrist," Bianchi said. "Unless you have a prosecutor with the courage to take these cases to trial, it's the wrong message and it's a dangerous message."
Sixty-five students nationwide have died from hazing incidents since 2000, Bianchi said.
Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Documents show frequent hazing at Mizzou fraternities
