Frat Members Charged in Kendall Park Pledge's Death Head to Trial

Two members of a University of Delaware fraternity stand accused of the wrongful death of a student from Kendall Park who died during a hazing incident. The trial began this week, the Associated Press reports.

Brett Griffin, 18, died in November of 2008 after a night in which he drank too much while celebrating the pairing of pledges with their “big brothers,” according to the report. 

He was a South Brunswick High School graduate. He competed on the school's wrestling team, according to nj.com. His friends described him as quiet, a fan of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and an acoustic guitar player.

Griffin was a pledge with the Delta Lambda chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu, and his cause of death was alcohol poisoning. His blood alcohol level was .341, according to nj.com.

His parents argue his death was the result of hazing that violated the laws of the University and the State.

Griffin’s parents, Timothy and Julie, initially filed the lawsuit in 2009. Since then, they’re reached settlement with the fraternity and some of its members. Former chapter president Jason Matthew Aaron and former pledge master Matthew A. Siracusa continue to deny any wrongdoing.