Student injured during rush files lawsuit against PiKA fraternity

The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity is facing more legal problems after a former rushee filed a lawsuit on Aug. 16 in Craighead County Circuit Court claiming they unlawfully hazed him and supplied him with alcohol during the fraternity's 2008 rush program.

Attorneys for Blake Boeckmann said Pi Kappa Alpha and additional defendants will be served in two or three weeks with legal documents concerning their plaintiff's lawsuit.

Boeckmann is currently a student at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway after leaving ASU.

Boeckmann's lawyers, Michael W. Mitchell and Marcia Barnes of Mitchell Blackstock Barnes and Sneddon in Little Rock, said Boeckmann broke his neck and the injury required immediate surgery when he went down the "sui-slide" after consuming alcohol provided by the fraternity.

According to a Jonesboro Sun article, the "sui-slide," is a 6-by-6 foot wide and 3-foot deep hole in the ground with a dirt bottom. This hole is filled with dirty water.

All defendants will be served in a few weeks with the complaint, a summons and a questionnaire that Mitchell and Barnes are currently developing.

It will ask questions such as what procedure was in place to address hazing and drinking at the time of the incident, who was the chapter president who presided at that time and what steps were taken to prevent injuries to students who were rushing.

The defendants will have 20 days to respond if they are Arkansas residents. Non-Arkansas residents or corporations based out-of-state will have 30 days to respond.

Defendants listed in the suit are Pi Kappa Alpha Corp., Delta Theta House Corp., the chapter president of the Delta Theta chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha at the time of the incident, Garrett Bollinger, chapter rush chairman of the Delta Theta chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha at the time, and two John Does who are unidentified fraternity members.

Boeckmann is seeking a monetary amount that will be based on the medical expenses he incurred and his pain and suffering.

Mitchell and Barnes said Boeckmann lost an entire year of college when he was injured, as well as the financial aid he received from the university and money he paid to the university for the semester in addition to suffering emotional distress.

Barnes said Boeckmann's injury is permanent and he will probably suffer from arthritis later in life as a result of the neck injury.

The lawyers said their client blacked out twice from the injury before he was sent to the emergency room and that none of the fraternity members called 911 that night.

The complaint filed alleges Boeckmann was encouraged to go down the slide by fraternity members and that this was considered hazing.

According to Webster's Online Dictionary, hazing is defined as an initiation process involving harassment.

Boeckmann was also underage at the time of the incident and he alleges that he was not asked for identification.

PiKA President Jim Houser spoke about the fraternity's mission and standards.

"Although there is currently no lawsuit which has been served to the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity or to any of its members, I would be happy to share with you the standards we uphold and what we strive to accomplish for each new member."