8 Charged In Hazing Death Of Bowling Green University Student

BOWLING GREEN, OH — Cory and Shari Foltz are living "every parent's worst nightmare" after their 20-year-old son, Stone Foltz, died following what authorities said was a catastrophic hazing ritual at a Bowling Green University fraternity.

Now, the couple from Columbus have joined others to pressure U.S. universities to abolish hazing.

“We are living every parent’s worst nightmare and will not be at peace until fraternity hazing is seen for what it truly is — abuse,” they said in a statement provided to The Washington Post. “It’s unacceptable, and in Stone’s case, it was fatal. How many injuries and deaths will it take for people in positions of power to do the right thing?”

On March 4, Foltz and his fellow Pi Kappa Alpha pledges were each handed a 750-milliliter bottle of liquor. They were told to finish it by the end of the night, prosecutors told The Post, and Stone complied.

His new frat brothers took him home that night, authorities said, and they left him unconscious.

Three days later, he was dead. The autopsy indicated his blood alcohol content was 0.35 — four times over the legal limit.

• RELATED: Bowling Green State Student Dies After Alleged Hazing Incident

This week, eight men who authorities said were involved in Foltz’s death were charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide and evidence tampering, according to The Post.

Foltz's death is only the latest in a series of lethal hazings.

In fact, the mother of an Ohio University student who died in what officials called a hazing incident in 2018 joined Sen. Sherrod Brown on a March press call, speaking in support of legislation regarding hazing reports at student clubs and organizations.

"We have a culture that dismisses hazing with this 'boys will be boys' mentality," Kathleen Wiant said.

Wiant's son, Collin, was found at a house on Mill Street in Athens occupied by members of the Sigma Pi fraternity. A toxicology report showed Collin had died of asphyxiation via nitrous oxide ingestion.

Nine men were charged in connection with Collin Wiant's death, some including drug charges and misdemeanor hazing counts.

In 2019, three Penn State Beta Theta Pi fraternity brothers were sentenced to jail time in connection with the 2017 hazing death of pledge Timothy Piazza.

Piazza, a native of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, died in February 2017 after drinking heavily at a Beta Theta Pi pledge acceptance party then falling down a flight of stairs. No one summoned help until late the next morning, and Piazza died the following day at the hospital.

Among those charged this week was Foltz’s assigned big brother, Jacob Krinn.

Krinn, a 20-year-old student from Delaware, Ohio, allegedly left Foltz in his apartment, the Post reported. Shortly before 11 p.m., Foltz’s roommate came home to find him unconscious on the couch.

Krinn’s charges include first-degree felony and third-degree misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, assault, obstruction and providing alcohol to underage people, the Post reported.

The university has since suspended the Pi Kappa Alpha chapter, which was also suspended by the national organization. Earlier this month, Bowling Green expelled the fraternity.