National fraternity denies fault for binge drinking

BATON ROUGE, La. (Reuter) The national Sigma
Alpha Epsilon fraternity denied Wednesday any fault for binge
drinking at the Aug. 25 party that left one Louisiana State
University pledge dead and another seriously injured.
A statement released by SAE spokesman Pete Stevenson said
the fraternity's initial investigation of the incidents that
ended early Aug. 26 with 20yearold Benjamin Wynne's death from
acute alcohol poisoning found ``no evidence of hazing or forced
drinking.''
Tuesday, former SAE plege Donald Hunt Jr. filed suit against
the fraternity, LSU's Board of Supervisors, the owners of
Murphy's Bar, where most of the drinking occurred at a private
party, and two fraternity members employed by the bar.
Hunt, hospitalized in critical condition for five days from
alcohol poisoning and related complications, claimed in the
lawsuit that the fraternity members tacitly or overtly forced,
urged or coaxed him to participate in the drinking binge and
failed to supervise his condition once he was drunk.
The SAE statement said, ``We at Sigma Alpha Epsilon find it
difficult to understand how Donald Hunt, a 21yearold mature
adult with prior military experience, can find fault'' with SAE
or LSU ``for his actions offsite and offcampus.''
Although paramedics initially reported Hunt's age as 19,
university and SAE officials corrected it to 21, the legal
drinking age in Louisiana.
SAE said the investigation into Wynne's death will continue,
as will a 20yearold national alcohol education program.
The New Orleans TimesPicayune reported Wednesday that Hunt
pleaded guilty to a December 1996 drivingwhileintoxicated
charge in Covington, Louisiana, just five days before filing the
lawsuit. He was given a deferred sentence, placed on two years
probation and ordered to pay a $350 fine and $188 in court
costs.
Hunt also was sentenced to attend driver improvement and
substance abuse programs and to perform four eighthour days of
community service, according to the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of
Court's Office.

Hunt's attorney did not return phone calls Wednesday.
Attorneys for the university, the bar owners and the two bar
employees all have denied responsibility for the amount of
alcohol Hunt consumed.
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