A Luzerne County jury has handed down a staggering $7.8 million verdict in favor of the estate of Justin King, an 18-year-old Bloomsburg University student who tragically died after falling off a cliff during a fraternity rush event in 2019.
King, a freshman at the time, had attended a party hosted by Alpha Sigma Tau sorority house, where he allegedly consumed excessive amounts of alcohol. According to authorities, King wandered far from campus and fell over a rocky ledge, plummeting 75 feet down to his death on the Bloomsberg Walking Trail.
Toxicology reports revealed that King had a blood alcohol level of .22 at the time of his death - nearly three times the legal limit. The incident is eerily reminiscent of Timothy Piazza's tragic hazing-related death at Penn State University in 2017, which prompted the passage of anti-hazing legislation in the state.
During a 10-day trial, the estate claimed that Alpha Sigma Tau ignored policy violations and hazing for years leading up to King's death. The jury ultimately found the sorority liable for negligence and violating the state's anti-hazing statute, assigning it 35% responsibility for King's death.
The verdict will result in $2.73 million from the national organization, with the estate expecting an additional $3.5 million upon accounting for delay of damages. Additionally, Kappa Sigma fraternity was found responsible for 35% of King's death, and six fraternity members were assigned 1% each.
Reacting to the verdict, Alpha Sigma Tau CEO Jordan Feldhaus expressed disappointment and stated that the organization "fundamentally disagrees" with the jury's findings. He also warned that the outcome could set a "deeply concerning precedent" and established liability for national Greek organizations without regard for the circumstances beyond their control.
The verdict serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of excessive drinking on college campuses and highlights the need for corporate responsibility among universities and national sororities to address these issues before they escalate into tragedy.
King, a freshman at the time, had attended a party hosted by Alpha Sigma Tau sorority house, where he allegedly consumed excessive amounts of alcohol. According to authorities, King wandered far from campus and fell over a rocky ledge, plummeting 75 feet down to his death on the Bloomsberg Walking Trail.
Toxicology reports revealed that King had a blood alcohol level of .22 at the time of his death - nearly three times the legal limit. The incident is eerily reminiscent of Timothy Piazza's tragic hazing-related death at Penn State University in 2017, which prompted the passage of anti-hazing legislation in the state.
During a 10-day trial, the estate claimed that Alpha Sigma Tau ignored policy violations and hazing for years leading up to King's death. The jury ultimately found the sorority liable for negligence and violating the state's anti-hazing statute, assigning it 35% responsibility for King's death.
The verdict will result in $2.73 million from the national organization, with the estate expecting an additional $3.5 million upon accounting for delay of damages. Additionally, Kappa Sigma fraternity was found responsible for 35% of King's death, and six fraternity members were assigned 1% each.
Reacting to the verdict, Alpha Sigma Tau CEO Jordan Feldhaus expressed disappointment and stated that the organization "fundamentally disagrees" with the jury's findings. He also warned that the outcome could set a "deeply concerning precedent" and established liability for national Greek organizations without regard for the circumstances beyond their control.
The verdict serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of excessive drinking on college campuses and highlights the need for corporate responsibility among universities and national sororities to address these issues before they escalate into tragedy.
. $7.8 million is way too much for one tragic accident, no matter how preventable it may be. I mean, .22 BAC is still a pretty big red flag, and the fact that King wandered off campus after getting drunk at a party... sounds like gross negligence to me 
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. That just doesn't sit right with me. I think the real problem here is the lack of accountability among universities and Greek organizations when it comes to hazing and excessive drinking.
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. Like, it's one thing to acknowledge that hazing and partying can be super reckless, but $7.8 million is a huge amount of money 
. I get that the estate is seeking compensation for their loss, but I'm worried about the precedent this sets - what's going to happen when smaller orgs can't afford these kinds of verdicts? 
. It feels like the system is trying to hold universities accountable, but also not taking into consideration the complexities of campus life 
. Can we find a way to address these issues without making big orgs go bankrupt? 
. I mean, we've been talking about this issue for years and it still feels like some orgs just don't care 
. The fact that Alpha Sigma Tau was found liable for negligence is huge, but what really gets me is that they're already trying to spin this as a "deeply concerning precedent" 
. Like, can't they just own up to their mistakes and take responsibility for keeping their members safe? 
It's not like this verdict came out of the blue, we've seen so many similar cases where students have died due to hazing or excessive drinking... it's just a tragedy waiting to happen 
. I feel for Justin King's family and I hope they get some much-needed closure from this verdict 
. And yeah, this verdict will definitely prompt universities and orgs to re-examine their policies on underage drinking 
. As we move forward, universities and national organizations must prioritize student safety over party culture, and hold themselves accountable for the consequences of their actions 
. It's also worth noting that this verdict could have far-reaching implications for colleges across the country, so let's hope it leads to meaningful change rather than just a slap on the wrist 
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. The verdict is a wake-up call for universities and national organizations to take hazing and excessive drinking way more seriously 
. Let's hope this sets a positive precedent and leads to some real change 
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- 7.8 million dollars is a whopping amount, and I'm not surprised it went in favor of the estate 
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. I hope this verdict leads to some real change, like increased awareness and accountability for hazing and excessive drinking on campus 
. I mean, 18-year-olds shouldn't be out partying like that in the first place. And Alpha Sigma Tau's lack of accountability is super sus 
. I know some universities are trying to crack down on it, but it seems like we still have a ways to go before things get serious 
. And with Kappa Sigma getting hit for 1% of the damages? Like, what's the point of even having a national organization if they're just gonna let their members skate 
. Now it's just about holding people accountable for their actions... or lack thereof 
I remember reading about Timothy Piazza's case back in 2017 it's wild that it took so long for justice like what happened to Justin King was totally avoidable if those frat guys had been paying attention 
. I dont think it's right that the sorority got found liable for 35% of his death though, seems kinda unfair 
and it's even more messed up cuz he had like 3x the legal limit of booze in his system lol 
anyhoo, I'm all for holding frats and sororities accountable for their actions, especially when it comes to hazing and stuff... gotta make sure these orgs are on top of their game so something like this never happens again 
especially when it comes to hazing and excessive drinking 
it's just not worth the risk 
$7.8 million is a lot of money 
but I guess it's better than nothing 