By Taken from U-Wire
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 5, 1997

Oklahoma State University student sues Sigma Nu Fraternity

STILLWATER, Okla. (U-WIRE)- Ryan Foster said his worst memory as a Sigma Nu pledge was a rifle, fired by a member, less than 20 feet away from him and his pledge brothers.

"We were supposed to get a box out of an abandoned house and it had the Greek letters E-N on it," he said, describing a scavenger hunt during his pledgeship. "We get out the door and all we see is this rifle sticking out, and we just started cruising."

This, his worst memory, is one of many allegations in his lawsuit against the Oklahoma State University Sigma Nu fraternity. The lawsuit was filed Aug. 14.

Foster is suing the fraternity for compensatory damages in excess of $10,000, punitive damages in excess of $10,000, and court costs associated with the lawsuit.

Thirteen acts of hazing are included in the lawsuit, filed by Attorney John M. Thetford, of Stipe Law Firm in Tulsa. The alleged hazing includes a fire extinguisher being exploded at the pledges at 3 a.m., sleep deprivation, forcing pledges to consume alcohol, physical threats of bodily harm, paddling, spitting and urinating on pledges and their personal items and requiring pledges to get signatures on their private parts at the female residence halls.

One of the hazing allegations included in the lawsuit is titled "Strip Facts," which is an "activity that involves lining pledges up and asking obtuse questions about members and fraternity history."

Foster said about 15 pledges were lined up without clothing in a 30-degree room, windows open, rain coming in, when members harassed and humiliated them about their private parts.

Jim Bennett, OSU sophomore who depledged Sigma Nu late January, confirmedthis incident.

As a reaction to the many accusations Foster is making, Bennett said, "I think he's doing the right thing."

However, Scott Quillen, Sigma Nu colonel or president, said the allegations of hazing do not pertain to his fraternity.

"This is the cleanest house on campus," he said.

Ron Beer, OSU's vice president for student affairs, said he received a formal letter that was sent to both the university and the fraternity. He said the university is not involved in this lawsuit.

"At this point, this is an individual filing a suit against an independent organization," Beer said. "The university has no involvement."

The lawsuit also states that Foster "was caused to incur severe and grievous mental and emotional suffering, fright, anguish, shock, nervousness and anxiety."

"I was given the impression since the beginning they were going to help mold me and nurture me into the kind of person my parents would be proud of," Foster said.

"The exact opposite happened. They have stripped me of the things that made me feel good about myself," he said.