Smith v. Delta Tau Delta

988 N.E.2d 325, 2013 Ind. App. LEXIS 215, 2013 WL 1900995
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 8, 2013
DocketNo. 54A01-1204-CT-169
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 988 N.E.2d 325 (Smith v. Delta Tau Delta) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. Delta Tau Delta, 988 N.E.2d 325, 2013 Ind. App. LEXIS 215, 2013 WL 1900995 (Ind. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinions

OPINION

RILEY, Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Appellants-Plaintiffs, Stacy Smith and Robert Smith, Individually and as Co-Per[328]*328sonal Representatives of the Estate of Johnny Dupree Smith, deceased (the Smiths), appeal the trial court’s summary judgment in favor of Appellee-Defendant, Delta Tau Delta, with respect to claims arising from the wrongful death of Johnny Dupree Smith (Johnny), a Wabash College freshman, following acute alcohol intoxication.1

We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand for further proceedings.

ISSUES

The Smiths raise two issues on appeal, which we restate as follows:

(1) Whether the trial court abused its discretion by denying the Smiths’ motion to strike certain designated evidence purporting to contain un-sworn, unverified, and uncertified statements; and
(2) Whether the trial court erred in granting Delta Tau Delta’s motion for summary judgment, finding that there is no genuine issue of material fact that an agency relationship existed between the national fraternity and its local chapter and that the national fraternity did not assume a duty to protect its freshmen pledges.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

This cause comes before us as an appeal to the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in an action arising from the wrongful death of a child following acute alcohol poisoning at the Delta Tau Delta fraternity house at Wabash College, Indiana.

I. The Events of the Fall of 2008

In the fall of 2008, Johnny, originally from Tucson, Arizona was a college freshman at Wabash College, in Crawfordsville, Indiana. At the beginning of the fall semester, Johnny pledged at the Beta Psi Chapter of Delta Tau Delta and began living in the Beta Psi fraternity house, which was owned by the College. In the week leading up to Homecoming on October 4, 2008, the freshmen pledges were put through a “hell week” of hazing and sleep deprivation. (Appellant’s App. p. 145). In one of these activities, Johnny was required to participate in Chapel Sing, an annual Wabash tradition the week of Homecoming where freshmen pledges of each fraternity house compete against each other to yell the Wabash school song the loudest. At practices for Chapel Sing, fraternity members routinely haze the freshmen pledges. Because Johnny failed to perform to the satisfaction of his fraternity brothers during the Chapel Sing competition on October 2, 2008, he had a large red W spray painted on him. In addition, the pledges were required to stay up into the early morning hours to build a Homecoming float and to clean the fraternity house kitchen wearing only an apron.

On Tuesday, September 30, 2008, Beta Psi’s social chairman emailed the Delta Tau Delta pledges announcing a house party at the fraternity house the weekend of Homecoming at which there would be “an abundance of alcohol.” (Appellant’s App. p. 145). During this house party on October 4, 2008, Johnny began drinking beer at the fraternity house shortly before 9 p.m. Throughout the evening, Johnny consumed multiple beers and several shots [329]*329of hard alcohol. Later, after Johnny was visibly intoxicated, he was summoned to the first floor room of an upperclassman to participate in a “pledge family drink night.” (Appellant’s App. p. 147). As a condition of membership, freshmen pledges were required from time to time to drink alcohol with their fraternity families. While participating in the required family drink night, Johnny consumed numerous shots of hard alcohol. At approximately 10:30 p.m., Johnny left the room and shortly thereafter, he fell down a stairwell, cutting his lip, cheek, and chin. At that time, he was unable to walk and could barely talk.

At 11 p.m., Johnny’s pledge brothers physically carried him to the upstairs bedroom. At the instruction of Delta Tau Delta’s house risk manager, Johnny’s mattress was taken off his top bunk and placed on the floor. Johnny was placed on his side “so he wouldn’t choke on his vomit” and Stevan Stankovich (Stankovich), a freshman pledge, was ordered to keep an eye on him. (Appellant’s App. p. 149). Around 11:30 p.m., Stankovich noticed Johnny’s body to be limp, his breathing shallow, and his eyes remained open even though he was non-responsive. At around 2 a.m., Stankovich left the room to drive several drunken Delta Tau Delta alumni back to their hotel; he returned around 3:45 a.m. On October 5, 2008, at 8:45 a.m., when the pledges were awoken to clean up after the party, Johnny was found deceased, lying in a pool of his own vomit. The Montgomery County coroner later determined that, when he was found, Johnny had been dead for at least four to eight hours; and his blood alcohol content was nearly .40%.

II. Delta Tau Delta

The national fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, was founded in 1858 at Bethany College in West Virginia, and is now comprised of 131 local chapters and colonies in multiple countries. It is a non-profit corporation, with its central office located in Fishers, Indiana and comprised of a volunteer alumni board of directors. Although originally managed by its undergraduate members, in the late 19th Century the members determined they no longer had the ability to manage the fraternity effectively and they created and bequeathed power to the national organization.

Delta Tau Delta is governed by a constitution, bylaws, and member responsibility guidelines which promulgate policies, rules, and procedures for its local chapters. These rules encompass, among others, the rituals to be carried out by the local chapters, delineate the powers and duties of the local chapters’ officers, prescribe discipline and process for expelling fraternity members, and describe the type of social events which are prohibited. Specifically, Delta Tau Delta mandates that

[n]o chapter of Delta Tau Delta shall indulge in any physical abuse or undignified treatment (hazing) of its pledges or members. Hazing is defined as any action taken or situation created intentionally, whether on or off Fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities and situations include paddling in any form, creation of excessive fatigue, physical and psychological shocks, quests, treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips or any other such activities, kidnapping of actives by pledges or pledges by actives as well as the forced consumption of alcohol, wearing apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste, engaging in any public stunts and buffoonery, morally degrading or humiliating games and activities, late work sessions which interfere with academic activity, and any other activities which [330]*330are not consistent with Fraternal law, Ritual, or policy with the regulations and policies of the host educational institution.

(Appellant’s App. p. 227).

In addition to its constitution and bylaws, the national fraternity adopted member responsibility guidelines which “provide a concise articulation of the responsibilities of each member, regarding alcohol, drugs, hazing, abusive behavior, and property management. Any violation of these criteria is viewed seriously by [Delta Tau Delta], and it is the responsibility of every undergraduate chapter member and volunteer to see that [t]he [g]uidelines are upheld.” (Appellant’s App. p. 238).

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988 N.E.2d 325, 2013 Ind. App. LEXIS 215, 2013 WL 1900995, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-delta-tau-delta-indctapp-2013.