Hazing Legislation and Case Updates  

Timothy M. Burke, Fraternal Law Partners, tburke@manleyburke.com Unfortunately, there continues to be a need for additional hazing legislation and lawmakers are listening. On March 30, 2022, Washington State Governor, Jay Inslee signed into law the “Sam’s Law.” It is named...
READ MORE

Kentucky Passes Campus Due Process Protection Act 

Jacob W. Purcell, Fraternal Law Partners, jacob.purcell @manleyburke.com Gracie Woodyard,1 Fraternal Law Partners, gracie.woodyard@manleyburke.com On April 8, 2022, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed the Kentucky Campus Due Process Protection Act2(the “Act”) into law. The Act provides Kentucky students and registered...
READ MORE

IRS Update: New Electronic Requirements and Developments

Amy M. Hebbeler, Fraternal Law Partners, amy.hebbeler@manleyburke.com Patrick K. Hogan, Fraternal Law Partners, phogan@manleyburke.com The pandemic and labor shortage has compelled organizations to explore virtual options for various operations. The Internal Revenue Service is not an exception. As more filings...
READ MORE

Eighth Circuit: No Liability Due to “Efficient Intervening Causes ”

Hanna Puthoff,1 Fraternal Law Partners, hanna.puthoff@manleyburke.com Christopher Wheeler was a Creighton University student participating in the rush and initiation activities of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity when he entered Teresa Spagna’s dorm room and slashed her throat with a pocketknife. Phi...
READ MORE

Lawsuit Filed against Western Kentucky University and Various Fraternal Defendants: Potential Effects on National and Chapter Liability

 Haellie Gordon, [1] Fraternal Law Partners, hgordon@manleyburke.com On February 7, 2022, Emily Thurman, a student at Western Kentucky University (“WKU”) and member of the Kappa Delta Sorority, filed a complaint in the Warren Circuit Court of Kentucky. The named defendants...
READ MORE

Pennsylvania Federal District Court Dismisses Case Regarding Hazing

Timothy M. Burke, Fraternal Law Partners, tburke@manleyburke.com A Federal District Court in Pennsylvania dismissed a case[1] against Bucknell University, essentially finding that the University had no duty to prevent a fraternity hazing incident that resulted in alcohol poisoning and a...
READ MORE

High Profile Suicide Raises Concerns About University Discipline and Student Mental Health

Micah E. Kamrass, Fraternal Law Partners, MKamrass@Manleyburke.com On March 1, 2022, Katie Meyer was found dead in her on-campus residence at Stanford University. She was twenty-two (22) years old. Meyer was the championship-winning Goalie and Captain of the Stanford Women’s...
READ MORE

Virginia Poised to Adopt New Anti-Hazing Law, The Adam Oakes Law

Timothy M. Burke, Fraternal Law Partners, tburke@manleyburke.com Adam Oakes died on February 27, 2021, of alcohol poisoning resulting from a hazing incident at a Virginia Commonwealth University fraternity. A year later, he joins Timothy Piazza in Pennsylvania, Max Gruver in...
READ MORE

Third Circuit Finds University Owed Student Title IX Protection Against Non-Student Offender

 Haellie Gordon, [1] Fraternal Law Partners, hgordon@manleyburke.com [1] Haellie Gordon is a law clerk at Manley Burke and is a first-year law student at the University of Cincinnati.             Back in March 2017, David Westol wrote about a Title IX...
READ MORE

The State Of Michigan And The City Of Ypsilanti Brought Suit Against A Fraternity, Alleging It To Be A Public Nuisance

Tim Burke, Fraternal Law Partners, tburke@manleyburke.com On January 5, 2022, the prosecutor of Washtenaw County, Michigan, on behalf of the State of Michigan, and the City of Ypsilanti, jointly sued Theta Xi Chapter of Delta Tau Delta at Eastern Michigan...
READ MORE