I’LL HAVE MORE ON THAT MATCHUP COMING UP IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. WE BEGIN WITH CONTINUING COVERAGE TONIGHT ON A STORY WE TOLD YOU ABOUT LAST WEEK. A GREENVILLE FAMILY HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON OVER ACCUSATIONS OF HAZING BY ONE OF ITS FRATERNITIES, CARLOS FLORES SAT
DOWN WITH LAWYERS REPRESENTING THE FAMILY AND CARLOS, WHAT DID YOU LEARN. WELL, GOOD EVENING, NIGEL, AND CAROL JACKSON. LOVELACE WAS A PLEDGE AT THE IOTA EPSILON CHAPTER OF THE SIGMA CHI FRATERNITY THERE AT THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON. IT WAS THERE. THE LAWSUIT SAYS LOVELACE SUFFERED PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND VERBAL ABUSE.
HIS LAWYERS SAY IT’S A CYCLE THAT IS FAR TOO COMMON AND SO THEY USE THIS CODE OF SILENCE TO KEEP PEOPLE QUIET, AND THEY USE IT AS A WEAPON. A 25 PAGE LAWSUIT DETAILING THE JOURNEY OF COLLEGE TO CHARLESTON STUDENT JACKSON LOVELACE AND WHAT HE ALLEGEDLY WENT THROUGH
AS A PLEDGE OF THE IOTA EPSILON CHAPTER OF SIGMA CHI IN SPRING OF 2023. THE LAWSUIT ACCUSED MEMBERS OF THE FRATERNITY OF MAKING HIM DRINK LARGE AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL AND PRESSURE HIM INTO DOING DRUGS. THE LAWSUIT WOULD GO ON TO SAY LOVELACE WAS TOLD FROM THE BEGINNING THAT, QUOTE, LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS.
THE CODE OF BROTHERHOOD IS YOU DON’T TELL OR THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES. YOU WILL EITHER BE KICKED OUT, BLACKBALLED, AND THERE WILL BE PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES. THERE’LL BE PUNISHMENTS LEVIED. AND IF LOVELACE REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING THAT THE BROTHERS ASKED, THE LAWSUIT SAYS FRATERNITY MEMBERS WOULD THROW BEER CANS AND BOTTLES AT HIM,
SHOOT A CAP GUN INCHES AWAY FROM HIS EARS, AND EVEN PHYSICALLY ABUSE LOVELACE BY KICKING HIS STOMACH BACK AND SIDES. IN STATEMENTS, THE WIFE OF NEWS FOUR OFFICIALS WITH THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON SAID IN PART, QUOTE, THE CALL TO CHARLESTON DOES NOT CONDONE ANY FORM OF HAZING BY ANY STUDENT OR STUDENT ORGANIZATION.
THE NATIONAL SIGMA CHI ORGANIZATION ALSO COMMENTING SAYING SIGMA CHI INTERNATIONAL FRATERNITY HAS A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR ANY MEMBER FOUND TO BE ENGAGED IN BEHAVIOR THAT CONSTITUTES HAZING, AND WE ARE FIRMLY COMMITTED TO HOLDING ACCOUNTABLE THOSE MEMBERS WHO VIOLATE FRATERNITY POLICY OR OUR STATED VALUES SYSTEM.
AS A MATTER OF POLICY, WE DO NOT COMMENT ON ACTIVE LITIGATION, HOWEVER, IT’S A PATTERN STEWART AND BURNETT SAYS NEEDS TO END AND IT TAKES PEOPLE LIKE JACKSON AND THE SUPPORT OF HIS FAMILY, OF COURSE, TO BE BRAVE AND STEP OUTSIDE THE MOLD AND BRING ATTENTION TO IT.
NOW THE COLLEGE DID DO AN INVESTIGATION INTO THAT FRATERNITY, WHICH RESULTED IN A CEASE AND DESIST ORDER, ACCORDING TO THE COLLEGE. THAT FRATERNITY, SIGMA CHI, IS BACK IN OPERATION AT THE START OF THIS SEMESTER UNDER A REMEDIAL PLAN. AS FOR LOVELACE, HE ENDED UP LEAVING THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON THAT VERY SAME SEMESTER.
HE RUSHED THE LAWSUIT ITSELF IS SEEKING $10 MILLION IN PUNITIVE DAMAGES, BUT
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