It’s important to look closely at what VCU means by “independent investigation” since, time and again, universities fail to review all of the relevant facts and issues involving fraternity mismanagement due, in part, to the fact that the fraternity industry hides and does not disclose its risk management histories and insurance loss data.

This means that universities, newspapers, and such are deprived of the very facts they need to determine the scope of the problems within this industry (not just at a single campus), the long-standing patterns of why the industry’s risk-management strategies fail and, in the end, why so many people have, for decades, died or suffered traumatic injuries from fraternity hazing, the abuse of alcohol and other fraternity misconduct.

Tragically, Adam’s death is by no means an anomaly. Rather, it is one of a long line of deaths demonstrating very real flaws with the chapter self-management model, the failure by fraternities, unlike sororities, to go “dry,” as opposed to entrusting underaged members to “manage” the use and provision of substances they are prohibited by law to consume, the failure by fraternities and universities to be open and honest about the risks facing young men (see VCU’s current website, a pure promo piece for Greek life, that, among other misleading information, falsely claims that fraternities have learned not to haze), and other well-documented problems revealed in the litigation against fraternities across the country.

An investigation by anyone, independent, blue panel, or otherwise, that fails to include the right people, and consider ALL relevant information, is of no value and will not help solve the problems at VCU or throughout the industry or bring this family the justice it so deserves. #stoptheheazing #AHAmovement #stophazing #endhazing