Student Sues Frat for Hazing Him With "Jewel Shockers" and "Fat Joes"
A college student is suing his fraternity for punching, kicking, and slapping him during the pledge process, then ostracizing him for revealing his injuries outside the frat.
Kevin Hayes, a 20-year-old Bowie State University junior, is seeking $3 million in damages from Alpha Phi Alpha after, he claims, members subjected him and other pledges to "jewel shockers, back racks, and fat joes," and often made their prospective members "take wood"—Fraternitese for slapping various parts of the body and hitting pledges with a wooden paddle.
The lawsuit claims pledging sessions could last five to eight hours at a time, with punishments for anyone who didn't learn the required information.
Hayes alleges that he was "blackballed" for being "a snitch" after another member found a photo on Hayes' phone showing the bruises he'd sustained.
Alpha Phi Alpha has suspended the Bowie State chapter pending an investigation into Hayes' claims, which include "alleged battery/hazing, false imprisonment and gross negligence."
"Something must happen so no one else has to deal with these issues," Hayes told Baltimore CBS affiliate WJZ.