Paramedics responded late Tuesday night to a 911 call at the house of UVA’s Kappa Sigma Fraternity. After an alleged night of heavy drinking, one second year transfer student pledging the fraternity fell backward down the staircase, hitting his head on a wall at its bottom. His name is unknown at the time, but one source—wishing to remain anonymous—has confirmed that the young man in the hospital is currently comatose.
Members of Kappa Sigma have been quite reserved with the amount of information they are willing to share. The risk of permanent brain injury from this fall is certainly a possibility, and the Inter-fraternity Council at UVA as well as local authorities have begun investigations into what exactly happened Tuesday night. The terms “suspension” and “termination” have been swirling about as hearsay, yet we can not confirm any official proceedings at this time.
Following this incident, scrutiny will likely increase toward all of UVA’s Greek Organizations. The Jefferson Independent has been the first news outlet to report on this situation, and will continue to provide updates as more concrete information surfaces.
After our initial reporting, “a parent of a student who had witnessed the incident” contacted The Washington Post and further confirmed that the victim “was pledging the fraternity and had been drinking that night.” The source also stated that “the student fell backward down a long flight of stairs […] and was knocked unconscious.” This parent wishes to remain nameless for “fear of possible retribution.”
The chief concern remains the wellbeing of this young man, and all hopes and prayers are for his speedy recovery.
[This article has been updated to reflect new information]
Wow amazing journalism
Here’s hoping the young man will survive intact.
Were my son involved in the hazing I would have yanked him out of school and given him the option of getting a job, joining the military, or paying his own way through school. He would not have been allowed to return to live with us.