Stories about fraternity hazing gone too far are not that uncommon. But one incident is being called the "worst fraternity hazing injury ever in the United States." Now two frat leaders are being held accountable for that incident, which left one college student with brain damage.
In 2021, Ryan Delanty and Thomas Shultz were fraternity leaders at the University of Missouri. They were just indicted by a Boone County grand jury over the hazing incident that left 19-year-old Daniel Santulli blind and unable to walk or talk.
The incident took place in October 2021, and the details are jarring. After a month of demanding and degrading pledge events, like being ordered to bring the fraternity members alcohol and marijuana at all hours of the night, Santulli was considering quitting the pledge process. He broke down when speaking to his family about the things he was being made to do.
But he insisted on sticking it out. Then, on the night of October 19, he went to the fraternity house. There, Delanty handed Santulli a family-sized bottle of Tito’s vodka and told him to drink it. Others poured beer into his mouth through a funnel.
Santulli was forced to drink until his blood alcohol level was .468, about six times the legal limit. Santulli passed out on a couch and eventually fell to the floor. He was pale and his lips had turned blue.
Finally, when it was clear that he wasn't breathing, frat members took him to a hospital. At that point, he was not breathing and his heart had stopped. Santulli was placed on a ventilator.
According to the lawsuit, “Days later he was removed from the ventilator and started breathing on his own but he was unresponsive, unaware of his surroundings, unable to communicate and had a significant injury to his brain. He remains in that condition to this day." Santulli is now being cared for by his parents.
The family's attorney, David Bianchi, who specializes in hazing cases, has spoken out about the incident. “It’s as horrible as it could possibly be and (have him) still be alive,” he said. “It’s the worst fraternity hazing injury ever in the United States. We’ve been doing these cases for 30 years. I know the landscape of hazing. I know the defense lawyers who defend the fraternities. And everyone agrees this is the worst ever.”
The family believes that many more fraternity members than just Delanty and Shultz are to blame. Bianchi filed 23 civil suits against other frat members. All but two settled out of court.
“There are probably another dozen or more fraternity members who were responsible for this hazing event,” he said. This chapter of Phi Gamma Delta has since been removed from campus, the university said in a press release.
Shultz faces an additional charge of tampering with evidence.
