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Andrew Walker and Christopher Barksdale, two 19-year-old students at Texas Christian University, were arrested on Wednesday, September 19, and charged with hazing.
According to reports, Walker and Barksdale forced two freshman Kappa Sigma pledges to drink 15 vodka drinks and eat expired guacamole.
As a result of the forced alcohol intake, one pledge blacked out and the other was left intoxicated in his dorm room. One of the pledges was found unconscious in Barksdale’s room, causing another Kappa Sigma member to believe the pledge had died.
Upon finding the unconscious pledge, Kappa Sigma Members called an ambulance and he was taken to a hospital.
Barksdale, a former student, lived at the TCU Kappa Sigma chapter house, and Walker, who remains a student at TCU.
The following account of the incident was given in the arrest warrant, via The Star-Telegram:
The pledges were ordered to the Kappa Sigma fraternity house on Sept. 3 and told to bring a “handle” of Tito’s vodka. A “handle” refers to a 1.75 liter bottle of vodka. The order was sent by a text message from a cell phone owned by Barksdale.
The pledges arrived shortly after 4 p.m. on Sept. 3 with a bottle of vodka. The freshmen were introduced to Walker and a sorority member and directed to Barksdale’s room on the second floor. Barksdale called one pledge into a bathroom, handed him a beer and told him to drink the beer as fast as possible.
After that, Barksdale emptied a bottle of decorative sprinkles, and the pledges were ordered to sort them. If they failed to complete the task in a timely manner, they were forced to drink vodka. Barksdale and Walker yelled at the pledges as they tried to sort the sprinkles and ordered them to drink vodka
The pledges were ordered to drink from the bottle of vodka between 10 to 15 times. Walker and Barksdale made them drink as long as they were counting, according to the warrant. Both pledges were forced to eat expired guacamole.
University officials are conducting an investigation and all activities at the Kappa Sigma fraternity were suspended pending the results of the investigation.
This is just the latest incident of alcohol-related hazing that has ended in a lawsuit, injury, or death.
