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Long Island parents should be mindful of kid's injuries on College Campus

A 19-year-old university student who died last year was repeatedly tackled by members of a fraternity who were hazing him at an off-campus farm, his parents said in a recently filed lawsuit.

Harrison Kowiak of Tampa, Fla., died after a head injury caused a severe brain hemorrhage, the lawsuit said. The complaint seeks damages and blames Theta Chi Fraternity, the fraternity's members and Lenoir-Rhyne University.

The allegations are that this was a pattern and long history of hazing abuse. The attorney representing the family indicated that there is absolutely no reason for this dangerous activity to still be occurring in this day and age, and it needs to be stopped immediately.

The parents say in the lawsuit that Kowiak and another pledges were told to walk across a field one night in November 2008 while wearing light clothing. They said members of the fraternity wearing dark clothing repeatedly tackled the pledges during the initiation, leading to the injury.

A spokesman for the university did not return a call seeking comment.

Prosecutors have said investigators found no basis for criminal charges in the death.

Kowiak was a 160-pound sophomore and a member of the golf team, and his parents say some members of the fraternity were Lenoir-Rhyne football players who weighed more than 250 pounds.

"Throughout this event, Harrison was being tackled by men who were much larger than he and were trained in tackling," says the lawsuit filed in Durham County Superior Court.

Fraternity members eventually realized that Kowiak was badly injured, according to the complaint, but they attempted to get Kowiak to stand up and walk until he collapsed. The fraternity brothers drove him to a Hickory hospital and told hospital staff that Kowiak had been injured in an on-campus flag-football accident, according to the lawsuit.

Kowiak was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte and died there the following day. On Long Island parents need to be concerned about their kids who go away to school as well as those who go to school right here.

Colleges and Universities remain responsible for actions that take place on campus that are considered dangerous and irresponsible and which they should have been aware of. Always research any fraternity or sorority that your child decided that he or she wants to join. Review the school's policy regarding these type of groups and do some research online. Always look at the forums where other parents lend their experience. Look at http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/teens/frat.html or http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/156635-parents-how-do-you-feel-about-fraternities.html

Finaly, if you think your child has been the victim of hazing or some other irresponsible behavior at his or her college let us know and we will discuss what options, if any, are available to you.

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