Several University of Alabama students were charged in alleged fraternity hazing incidents after a pledge said he was shoved and stepped on and had things thrown at him.
Christopher Theodore Molineaux, 22, Grant Henry Rakers, 21, Joshua Donald Ferrito, 22, and Charles William Grey, 20, were each charged with two counts of hazing in connection with alleged incidents that happened on Aug. 25 and Aug. 28 at the Pi Kappa Phi house.
Court documents filed Wednesday state that videos from the TV room and band room captured the alleged hazing.
Rakers directed comments to his attorney Ben Preston who said he was still reviewing the evidence. “Let’s not judge until we see the facts,” he said. The families of Molineaux and Ferrito declined to comment.
Grey’s attorney, Tommy Spina, said in a statement that his client “is accused of failing to report” and “did not touch or harm anyone.”
“I don’t understand why failing to come forward is a ‘crime,’ Spina said.
“It seems to me that individuals may fear retribution from peers or the group if they report hazing incidents. Making reporting a crime could further dissuade individuals from coming forward,” Spina said. “Rather than punishing reporting, there should be incentives and protections for whistleblowers to ensure that those who speak out against hazing feel safe and supported.”
One of the pledges filed charges but the court documents allege that during the Aug. 25 incident video allegedly showed several pledges being led into the band room “and forced to their hands and knees as part of the fraternity’s ‘Rules Night,'” the documents state.
“While on their hands and knees, pledges were yelled at, stepped on, pushed, had items thrown at them, and had beer poured on them,” it says.
Video from the Aug. 28 incident allegedly showed the pledges being made to line up against a wall and “perform forced calisthenics, including wall sits and push-ups,” according to the documents. The pledges were yelled at by fraternity members during initiation.
Molineaux and another fraternity member are alleged to have “shoved and struck one of the pledges,” the filing says.
“Molineaux can be seen on the video grabbing [the pledge] by the front of his shirt, shoving him back against a wall, shaking him, and then shoving him down to his (Molineaux’s) right, causing [the pledge] to lose his balance and fall over,” it says.
The documents accuse Rakers, Ferrito, and Grey of being present for both incidents and failing to stop the hazing or report it. Another student, Stefan Maksimovich, 22, was charged in the Aug. 28 incident. Maksimovich’s family declined to comment.
The University of Alabama said hazing is strictly prohibited and an investigation led to the campus police department serving warrants against several members.
“Hazing violates University policy, the Code of Student Conduct, and the law, and it is a matter that the University takes seriously,” the school said in a statement.
Pi Kappa Phi did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.