You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
A group of alumni of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity have filed a lawsuit against Stanford University, accusing administrators of “arbitrarily punishing the organization” after a fraternity member died from a drug overdose two years ago, according to KRON4, a local news station.
The student, Eitan Weiner, died of an accidental fentanyl overdose at the Theta Delta Chi fraternity house in January 2020. In response to Weiner’s death, Stanford imposed a six-year suspension on Theta Delta Chi. The alumni group, called #SaveStanfordTDX, alleges Stanford suspended the fraternity in an attempt to shift blame for Weiner’s death away from the university, arguing that the fraternity did not deserve a six-year ban.
“In its 130-year history, Stanford University has never enacted such a draconian measure against one of its student-led organizations,” Mark Hathaway, the attorney for #SaveStanfordTDX, told KRON4. “They have fundamentally violated the rights of Theta Delta Chi members and alumni, and in doing so, have not only suspended the fraternity from campus without cause, but they have also arbitrarily and unjustly tarnished the reputation of the organization.”
Weiner’s parents, Julia Erwin-Weiner, associate vice president of development at the Stanford Medical Center, and Amir Weiner, associate professor of history, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Stanford earlier this year. That suit names Stanford University, the Theta Delta Chi fraternity and six individuals.