BATON ROUGE, La. — Two Roswell parents have won a lawsuit after their son died in a 2017 hazing while pledging for a fraternity, an attorney for the family told CNN.
According to CNN, a Louisiana jury awarded Steve Gruver and Rae Ann Gruver a $6.1-million settlement in the lawsuit.
Their son, Max Gruver, died in an alcohol-related hazing event in 2017 at Louisiana State University. His blood-alcohol level was 0.495%, which is more than six times the legal limit to drive in Louisiana. He was only 18 at the time.
A 22-year-old man who was accused of being involved in Gruver's death told prosecutors a Phi Delta Theta member ordered Gruver to chug a bottle of 190-proof liquor at a hazing ritual. The 22-year-old's charges were later dropped.
An ex-Phi Delta Theta member was sentenced to five years in prison, but a judge suspended all but 2½ years of the term. Two other former LSU students and ex-Phi Delta Theta members who pleaded no contest to misdemeanor hazing and testified at Naquin's trial were sentenced to 30 days in jail.
After their son's death, Gruver's parents filed a lawsuit against several parties, including LSU and the chapters of Phi Delta Theta.
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Photos: Max Gruver
Gruver's death led to the passage of anti-hazing laws in 2018, making the offense a felony. A similar bill, called the "Max Gruver Act," which expanded the definition of hazing and established a process for investigating hazing incidents, also passed in Georgia and took effect in in 2021.
Since multiple settlements were reached previously, including an $875,000 settlement from the university, the attorney was not sure of the exact amount the Gruver family will receive, according to CNN.
The family plans to honor their son by educating students on the dangers of hazing with the Max Gruver foundation, lawyers told CNN. They want to prevent any more hazing-related deaths.
Material from the Associated Press contributed to this report.