4 fraternity members charged after pledge set on fire during party 'skit' and suffers 3rd-degree burns



Four members of a college fraternity in California are facing charges after a pledge was set on fire during a party, according to authorities.

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement released Monday that four members of a San Diego State University fraternity have been criminally charged for an alleged "skit" that resulted in a pledge being set on fire.

San Diego State University put the fraternity on an interim suspension.

Caden Cooper, 22; Lucas Cowling, 20; Christopher Serrano, 20; and Lars Larsen, 19, were all charged with recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury, conspiracy to commit an act injurious to the public, and violating the social host ordinance. If found guilty of all the charges, the defendants face a maximum sentence of seven years and two months in prison.

The court imposed several conditions on the suspects, including not participating in any fraternity parties, not participating in any recruitment events for the frat, and obeying all laws, especially those related to illegal alcohol consumption.

The San Diego District Attorney's Office said the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity threw a large party at its frat house on the night of Feb. 17, 2024. The fraternity threw the party despite the university having placed the frat on probation for violating policies on alcohol and hazing, according to Fox News.

Cowling, Serrano, and Larsen had "pre-planned a skit during which Serrano would set Larsen on fire," according to the DA.

At some point, the "skit" got out of hand, and Larsen reportedly suffered burns on 16% of his body, primarily on his legs. Larsen spent weeks in the hospital for treatment of third-degree burns.

Cooper was the frat’s president, Cowling was on the pledge board, and Larsen and Serrano were pledges.

Larsen and Serrano were not of legal drinking age at the time of the incident but allegedly drank alcohol before the skit in Cowling's presence.

The district attorney accused Cooper, Cowling, and Larson of making a "concerted effort to thwart law enforcement’s efforts to investigate the incident by lying to law enforcement personnel, deleting evidence on social media, and instructing other fraternity members to delete evidence and not speak to anyone about the incident."

San Diego State University said it received an anonymous tip regarding the incident and then alerted university police.

The school launched an administrative investigation that "addresses both individual student conduct and the conduct of the organization involved."

San Diego State University put the fraternity on an interim suspension, which will temporarily halt all organizational activities while an investigation is conducted.

"The university has taken additional actions, but because of student privacy laws, those actions can not be disclosed," the school said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Phi Kappa Psi fraternity on Wednesday did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.

The defendants are scheduled to appear at a readiness hearing on March 18. A preliminary hearing is set for April 16.

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Ole Miss frat kicks out member who carried out 'racist actions' during counter-protest against pro-Palestinian students



A University of Mississippi fraternity kicked out a member who carried out "racist actions" during a counter-protest against pro-Palestinian students Thursday.

Time referred to a clip of a "student making racist gestures, seemingly imitating a monkey, toward a Black woman."

Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters stated Sunday that the "racist actions in the video were those of an individual and are antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta and the Mississippi Alpha chapter. The responsible individual was removed from membership on Friday, May 3."

In addition, the university opened a student conduct investigation over "actions that conveyed hostility and racist overtones," National Public Radio reported.

More from NPR:

One video shows a Black woman and a group of white male counterprotesters yelling at each other. In it, a man imitates the sounds and dance of a monkey toward the woman, while others in the crowd chant "Lock her up!"

In a letter to students and faculty the next day, university Chancellor Glenn Boyce said that "university leaders are aware that some statements made were offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable," and have launched an investigation into the conduct of one student. "We are working to determine whether more cases are warranted," he added.

"Behaviors and comments that demean people because of their race or ethnicity marginalize them and undermine the values that are fundamental to a civil and safe society," Boyce wrote.

The school's student government issued a statement saying “unacceptable remarks were made" during the incident that "departed from our cherished values.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R-Georgia) shared the now-viral video on X and captioned it, "Ole Miss taking care of business." Numerous commenters accused Collins of racism.

More than 200 students showed up to the counter-protest with U.S. flags and red, white, and blue attire to drown out a much smaller group of pro-Palestinian protesters.

The Clarion Ledger reported that the pro-Palestinian protesters were evacuated from campus.

WMC-TV said in its video report that a pro-Palestinian protester threw a water bottle into the crowd of counter-protesters — and then bottles and food were flying in both directions.

Pro-Palestine protests on Ole Miss campus youtu.be

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Black college student arrested after allegedly posting fake racist frat party invite that read, 'No blacks'



A black student at East Carolina University was arrested after police said he posted a fake racist fraternity party invite that read "No blacks."

The arrest comes after another student was initially accused of posting the invite, after which he said he received death threats.

What are the details?

James Daniel Edwards, 19, was booked Friday at the Pitt County Jail on a misdemeanor cyberstalking charge that came with a $1,000 bond. Edwards' race is listed as black in jail records.

Officials said Edwards turned himself in at the jail, the News & Observer reported.

ECU student arrested for fake racist fraternity party invite https://t.co/B6lcb2D6IA https://t.co/5XurCGLxgr

— WITN Headlines (@WITN) 1633380773.0

What's the background?

In August, police in Greenville, North Carolina, launched an investigation regarding a Yik Yak app post inviting people to a Theta Chi rush party with one eye-opening caveat: "No blacks," the invite read, according to WITN-TV.

Image source: WITN-TV video screenshot

Yik Yak allows users to post anonymously in a local area, the News & Observer reported, adding that the frat party never took place.

What's more, the name and phone number of ECU Theta Chi Chapter member, Austin Hunter, were attached to the invite, the station said.

"It's caused a lot of stress and anxiety," Hunter told WITN after his name was cleared. "To be accused of something that I didn't do, that really sucks. My name and number were posted in the college newspaper, and I was being harassed with calls and texts, and I even received death threats."

Image source: WITN-TV video screenshot

Greenville police spokesperson Kristen Hunter told WITN the department worked closely with Yik Yak to find out who actually posted the racist invite — and warned users that their anonymity only goes so far when posts are malicious.

"If you have any type of social media app, there is a digital footprint," Hunter added to the station. "There is a way to track this type of activity and behavior. So, I would certainly caution anybody that's looking to utilize anonymous apps that we can find you."

Suspect is member of different frat

The two-month investigation culminated with the arrest of Edwards, who is a member of ECU's Pi Lambda Phi chapter, WITN said.

According to a previous WITN report, Edwards' intended major is political science, and Pi Lambda Phi's website lists him as vice president of recruitment.

When WITN reached Edwards on Monday afternoon, the station reported that he said "no comment" until he gets a lawyer.

'Don't spread rumors'

Austin told WITN he hopes the outcome of the controversy teaches others that accusations before all the facts are in can have long-term consequences and should be avoided.

"Because something is posted, doesn't mean it's true," he told the station. "Don't spread rumors. What happened to me can happen to anyone."

What did the college have to say?

"We are aware of the arrest by Greenville Police of an ECU student related to a racist Yik Yak post earlier this semester," John Mountz, ECU director of student engagement said, according to WITN. "We appreciate the efforts of the Greenville Police to identify the individual who made the post and to clear the name of the student and the Theta Chi fraternity listed in the original post. We will continue to work with our students and campus to build a welcoming and inclusive community for all."

(H/T: The College Fix)