BOWLING GREEN — A BGSU student has died after an alleged fraternity hazing incident Thursday left him in critical condition for several days, the family’s lawyer confirmed Sunday evening.
Stone J. Foltz, 20, of Delaware, north of Columbus, was identified by the family’s attorney, Sean Alto.
“The death of Stone Foltz is a tragedy,” Mr. Alto said in a statement on behalf of the family. “He was a beloved son, brother, and grandson. At this time we are gathering all of the facts leading to his untimely death and we have no interest in commenting on speculation.”
Mr. Alto’s statement asked for respect and consideration for Mr. Foltz’s family.
“Despite their unbearable grief, they agreed to donate Stone’s organs so that others may have a second chance at life.” Mr. Alto said.
In response to the incident, several Bowling Green State University students posted on Facebook that they have organized a protest for 11 a.m. Tuesday, demanding that the university expel the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity on BGSU’s campuses, publicly and explicitly take accountability for the incident and others, and force the resignation of current president Rodney Rogers, “as a consequence for the ways he has enabled dangerous practices from Fraternity & Sorority Life ...”
The protest will begin with a period of silence at the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. Following this, protesters will march to the university’s administrative building, McFall, where the university’s leadership is housed.
Mr. Rogers officially notified BGSU students, faculty, and staff of Mr. Foltz’s death in a campus-wide email Sunday evening.
“Those who knew Stone remember him as a kind, selfless person with a great sense of humor,” Mr. Rogers wrote. “The University mourns his tragic loss and shares in his family and friends’ sorrow.
Local and university law enforcement are continuing to investigate the off-campus incident Thursday during which Mr. Alto previously said Mr. Foltz was given "a copious amount of alcohol” at an organized fraternity event.
Mr. Foltz was identified as an “unreported new member,” or someone who has not gone through the initiation process. He was seeking to join Pi Kappa Alpha’s Delta Beta Chapter at BGSU — commonly known as “Pike.” Mr. Alto said the student was dropped off that night at his apartment by members of the fraternity, where he was later found by his roommates, who called 911.
The fraternity was placed on interim suspension Friday and Sunday morning the Greek letters marking the home of Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity at BGSU were removed.
“Given that Pi Kappa Alpha is not currently recognized as a registered student organization, the fraternity’s Greek letters were removed from its on-campus residence this morning,” a university statement issued Sunday said.
"I know it's happened at other universities in the past, but I didn't think that BG was that kind of university,” freshman Dylan Griev said on Sunday. “It was pretty shocking."
Morgan Nance, a junior and member of the coed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, said she thinks the university is taking the matter seriously.
"I think [suspension is] the right way to go about it,” she said Sunday. "Obviously there's an issue with that organization and something needs to be done."
Late Saturday, the university also suspended all recruiting and social activities for fraternities and sororities on campus in the interim.
"I think that's definitely appropriate, and I hope they do more,” Mr. Griev said. "I think [the university is] taking their time to pick apart what's happened. I hope the punishment is appropriate to what's happened. I feel really bad for the kid and his family."
The suspension of Greek life will remain in place “until each chapter individually and successfully works with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and the Office of the Dean of Students on comprehensive plans to safely restart,” Mr. Rogers said in a Saturday statement. “To do so, chapters may continue to conduct organization-wide and executive board meetings virtually with pre-approval from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.”
That statement noted Greek student leaders and university staff will work together in the coming week to “shape the framework of these plans to provide for increased accountability and to ensure hazing has no place at Bowling Green State University.” BGSU will also increase its work with national Greek headquarter offices on safety and anti-hazing efforts, as well as consult with third parties to perform a broader review of student organizations and activities.
The North American Interfraternity Conference, the national trade association of college fraternities, also released a statement Sunday.
“While the circumstances surrounding this incident at Bowling Green State is still under investigation, we must be clear that hazing is a betrayal of the fraternal vows to which every member commits and has no place on campus,” the statement said. “When hard alcohol is added to the mix, it is a formula for tragedy.”
At least one online petition has been started, calling for the permanent removal of Pi Kappa Alpha from BGSU. More than 900 people had signed it by mid-afternoon Sunday.
“As Bowling Green State University students, we refuse to stand behind the same people that would allow the loss of a beloved student on a campus organization’s off-campus housing,” the petition at change.org reads.
State Rep. Mike Sheehy (D., Oregon), said Sunday the incident at BGSU has prompted him to seek the reintroduction of a bill known as Collin’s Law: The Ohio Anti-Bullying and Hazing Act. The measure that would increase the criminal penalties and expanded the definition of hazing failed in December when Ohio Senate’s Education Committee opted not to vote on what was then House Bill 310.
“I’m going to start working on it tomorrow,” he said. "It's every parent's nightmare, every parent's fear that you send your kid off to college and something like this could occur."
The measure was named after Collin Wiant, a freshman at Ohio University from Dublin who died after collapsing on the floor of an unofficial, off-campus fraternity house in 2018.
Mr. Sheehy said Greek organizations still have an important place in the overall college experience, leading to lifelong friendships and connections. He said the issues of alcohol and drug use, along with hazing, are having an increasingly detrimental effect on what Greek life should be.
"What this is is a misuse of something that is very, very positive,” he said.
Mr. Foltz graduated from Buckeye Valley High School in Delaware County in 2019 and played multiple sports while he was in school. Superintendent Andrew Miller in a statement said the student was a “beloved member” of the school community.
“He was a student-athlete but more importantly Stone was a friend to everyone who was blessed to know him,” Mr. Miller said. “The Buckeye Valley community mourns the loss of this amazing young person and we stand ready to support the Foltz family in the days ahead.”
His freshmen-year roommate at BGSU, Duncan Faulk, told the Columbus Dispatch that Mr. Foltz was outgoing and “one of the greatest friends I've ever had.” He had a reputation of being there for friends and family when they needed him, Mr. Faulk said.
"I know he will be missed, and this will be very hard on a lot of people," he said.
First Published March 7, 2021, 7:09 p.m.
