Armando Villa, a 19-year-old student at Cal State Northridge University, died last year of dehydration during a Pi Kappa Phi fraternity event in the woods. His family is now suing CSNU and the fraternity for wrongful death. They are suing for unspecified damages.
Villas parents claim that they’re still in the dark about what exactly happened to their son. “It’s been a year since Armando’s death and we still have no answers,” Joseph Serrato (Armando’s stepfather) said in a statement. “No one has stepped forward to tell us what happened to my son. I am angry and terribly sad.”
What they do know, however, is that Armando was pledging Pi Kappa Phi. The fraternity went on a hiking trip, forced their pledges to wear ridiculous shoes, and forgot to bring enough water. Armando and a friend left to go find some water.
The school claims that they had no idea Pi Kappa Phi was hazing their pledges. “CSUN had no knowledge of Pi Kappa Phi’s actions,” Noblitt said. “Following CSUN’s independent investigation, the university permanently banned Pi Kappa Phi from ever operating on campus again. The death of Armando was a tragedy and our hearts continue to go out to his family and friends.”
