Jensen Kervern

News Editor

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a new Senate Bill which introduces tougher sanctions against hazing following the death of Florida State University student Andrew Coffey in December 2017.

Tom and Sandy Coffey lobbied for the new legislation and stricter punishments for those who take part in hazing during this year’s session. Senate Bill 1008, known as “Andrew’s Law”, altered the severity of hazing statutes, which now makes acts of hazing that cause serious bodily injury or death a third degree felony in the state of Florida.

“We knew that we needed to make our good law even better,” Miami attorneys Bianchi and Michael Levine, of Stewart Tilghman Fox Bianchi & Cain, P.A., said in a news release.

The new law allows for sorority and fraternity leaders to be held criminally liable if they plan or carry out a hazing event, whether they personally attended the event or not.

The law also extends privileges to those that summon help for hazing victims. The first person that calls 911 in the event of an emergency and those that offer aid to the victim while waiting for help to arrive will be protected from prosecution. It is also now illegal to enact hazing on a former member of a fraternity or sorority.

Andrew’s Law was one of the first bills of its kind nationwide that makes hazing a felony rather than a simple misdemeanor, according to Miami lawyer David Bianchi.

“We are very grateful to Gov. DeSantis, Sen. Book, Rep. LaMarca, FSU President John Thrasher and our attorneys David Bianchi and Michael Levine for all that they did to make this happen,” the couple said in a statement released by Bianchi Tuesday night. “Our son’s death has resulted in a new law that will hopefully save other families from a similar tragedy.”

Coffey died November 3, 2017 following an off-campus party sponsored by the

Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. Coffey was in the process of pledging to the group.

An investigation was launched following the incident, which revealed Coffey died from acute alcohol poisoning after being forced to drink an entire bottle of Wild Turkey bourbon. Members of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity cited fear of prosecution as the reason for not calling authorities. Instead of getting help, fraternity members moved Coffey to a couch, where he was found dead the next morning.

Coffey’s parents filed a lawsuit against FSU’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter for years of alleged hazing and abuse due to the lack of action from the fraternity’s national office. Coffey’s family and legal team condemned the hands off approach of greek life on Florida State’s campus. The family stated that events including binge drinking, party games, drug use and humiliation events like “Big Brother Night” lead to extreme bodily harm and even death.

FSU had a medical amnesty policy at the time of Coffey’s death. The new law’s language will include medical amnesty, extending the policy beyond Florida State’s system.