What the hell is "glass ceiling"? A really dangerous hazing game, apparently. And for one fraternity, it's now fatal. Police are investigating the death of a Baruch College student who suffered severe brain trauma while playing the game in an apparent pledge ritual gone wrong during a weekend fraternity retreat.
Baruch College Student Dies in Fraternity Pledge Ritual in Poconos.
19-year-old Chun Hsien "Michael" Deng was one of four pledges participating in the game with members of Pi Delta Psi, an Asian American fraternity. The game, played outside, involves blindfolding a person and placing a heavy item on his back. He has to navigate to someone who is calling for him, and as he makes his way, other try to tackle him. It's unclear how Deng was injured, but I'm going to assume he was tackled hard.
To make matters worse, the fraternity members didn't call 911 after Deng was knocked unconscious, and reportedly waited hours before someone drove him the hospital, located about 30 miles away. He was placed on life support and died on Monday.
Mr. Deng, who also went by the name Michael, was staying at a home in Tunkhannock Township, Pa., near Stroudsburg, as part of a retreat with 30 or so members of the Pi Delta Psi fraternity, the Monroe County district attorney's office said in a statement. Mr. Deng was one of four pledges on the retreat.Here's a statement on Deng's death from Baruch College:
He suffered the injury early Sunday, according to the statement. He proved unresponsive, and “after some time” fraternity members took him to the emergency room of a hospital in Wilkes-Barre. He was placed on life support and died on Monday. The police and the district attorney are investigating the death, as well as the lapse of time between the injury and when Mr. Deng was taken to the hospital, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center.
E. David Christine Jr., the county's district attorney, confirmed in an interview on Wednesday night that Mr. Deng had been injured while taking part in the Glass Ceiling, which he described. Mr. Christine said that while details of what happened remained under investigation, no ambulance was called and no medical service was provided to Mr. Deng before someone drove him to the hospital.
Baruch College is saddened to confirm the recent death of Chun Hsien (Michael) Deng, a Baruch freshman, as reported to us by the president of the national fraternity Pi Delta Psi. The preliminary reports indicate that Michael died over the weekend while participating in an unsanctioned fraternity pledging event in the Poconos, PA. Baruch College had no knowledge of this event or that the fraternity was rushing a pledge class. Pi Delta Psi did not request permission nor were they approved by Baruch on this matter.I can't even imagine being the guy who has to talk to Chun Hsien Deng's parents to tell them what happened. While the national Pi Delta Psi organization says the incident occurred "at an unsanctioned event that was strictly prohibited," somebody at this chapter will have to answer for his death.
Baruch College has a zero tolerance policy regarding hazing. All fraternities and sororities on Baruch's campus are required to attend the College's orientation and training session at the beginning of the academic year, which includes anti-hazing training and literature. All attendees are required to sign statements that they understand and will abide by the College's policies regarding organizing a pledge class and anti-hazing protocols. Michael's death is a deeply painful reminder that no individual should ever be put into a position where his or her personal safety is in jeopardy. Our deepest sympathies go out to Michael's family and his friends both at Baruch and at home.
Along with its own internal review, Baruch is cooperating fully with law enforcement as this incident is investigated.
More here: Fraternity says hazing ritual that killed Baruch College pledge was banned
