Drinking during frat tradition caused death of UK fraternity member

Excessive alcohol consumption during a fraternity tradition caused the death of a University of Kentucky fraternity member in October, according to investigative reports released Wednesday.

Thomas “Lofton” Hazelwood died at the University of Kentucky Hospital after being found unresponsive at the FarmHouse Fraternity house on Oct. 18. Hazelwood was an 18-year-old freshman from Henderson and a new member of the fraternity.

After Hazelwood’s death, UK launched two investigations. Both are not final, but UK believes the investigations’ outcomes will not change.

Hazelwood drank approximately 18 one-ounce shots of Wild Turkey 101 bourbon within 45 minutes, according to UK’s report. This took place before the fraternity’s tradition of “serenades,” where members would visit sorority houses and sing to members.

However, “it does not appear that new members were coerced, forced or required to consume alcohol on Oct.18, in the chapter facility,” and UK police did not find evidence of hazing directly related to Hazelwood’s death. The alcohol was purchased using fake IDs, and fraternity members paid for the alcohol through the Venmo app, according to the UK police investigation.

“Multiple students stated in the interviews that Hazelwood was obviously heavily intoxicated as the group practiced for the serenades,” according to the police investigation. “As a result, according to the interviews, the group decided to leave him at the fraternity house, rather than bringing him along to the sorority houses.”

UK also found evidence of hazing within the FarmHouse fraternity, including “personal servitude; forced wearing of apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste; degrading or humiliating games and activities; line-ups and berating; and an expectation of participation in activities that are illegal or in violation of university policy,” according to the report. The fraternity also held unregistered events which did not follow UK’s COVID-19 guidelines.

The Fayette County Coroner’s report confirmed last week that Hazelwood died of alcohol toxicity.

In response to the findings, the FarmHouse fraternity’s status as a student organization has been revoked by UK, and the national chapter has revoked the fraternity’s status. Members who live in the fraternity house on campus will be required to move out, according to a statement from UK President Eli Capilouto and Kirsten Turner, vice president for student success.

Additionally, the national FarmHouse chapter has issued a no-contact order, which means members of the UK chapter “can have no association with FarmHouse for seven years,” according to Capilouto and Turner.

Individual students could be charged with violations of UK’s Code of Student Conduct, which prohibits underage drinking, drinking on campus and hazing.

The University of Kentucky will hold a press conference at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday to discuss the reports.

Matt Minner, the lawyer for the Hazelwood Family, released a statement on behalf of the family. The family was “heartbroken to learn, through the University of Kentucky’s investigation, that Lofton was subjected to humiliating and dangerous hazing activities at FarmHouse from the time he pledged until the day he died,” according to the statement.

“While the investigation is ongoing, one fact is clear: had Lofton Hazelwood not pledged FarmHouse Fraternity, he would still be here today,” said Minner.

“The Hazelwood family is determined to ensure that this tragedy is not repeated to someone else’s son in another fraternity house. While young people may not fully appreciate the dangers of alcohol, national organizations such as FarmHouse Fraternity know well the deadly consequences that accompany hazing and alcohol,” the statement said.

According to the coroner’s report, Hazelwood’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.354 at the time of his death, which is more than four times the legal limit.

“The subject (Hazelwood) was at a Fraternity House and was highly intoxicated, per friends,” according to the coroner’s report.

Hazelwood also tested positive for Adderall, which he was prescribed, according to the reports. The coroner’s report classifies Hazelwood’s death as an accidental overdose, and no trauma or foul play was detected.

In response to the findings, UK will require “enhanced and expanded education around responsibilities for all new members of UK Interfraternity Council (IFC) chapters,” and increased staffing has been added to Fraternity and Sorority Life, “with additional responsibilities for alcohol education and hazing prevention,” according to Capilouto and Turner’s statement.

“We cannot heal this pain,” they said. “Nothing we announce today, or do in the future, will bring back Lofton. We cannot fill the emptiness of a life ended too early. But we can come together as a community to remember and to honor Lofton’s memory. We can hold our loved ones a little bit closer. And we can embrace this family and our students who are hurting, ensuring them that this UK community will be here for them always.”

This story is developing and will be updated.

Monica Kast covers higher education for the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com. Previously, she covered higher education in Tennessee for the Knoxville News Sentinel. She is originally from Louisville, Kentucky.
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