Last July, 19-year-old Armando Villa was a pledge in the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s CSUN chapter in Northridge. As is the case in most fraternities, all pledges had to go through some sort of test or trial in order to gain membership.
For the Pi Kappa Phi’s, one of these rituals was a hike up a local peak on a hot summer day. During that hike, Villa’s group ran out of water and he ended up collapsing before the hike was finished. He was pronounced dead later on that day.
According to reports, during the hike some members of Villa’s group described feeling dizzy and dehydrated; it’s believed that they may have been suffering from heat stroke. The president of the school, Dianne Harrison, asked that the CSUN chapter of Pi Kappa Phi voluntarily disband as a criminal investigation into the matter unfolds, and they accepted.
The tests or trials necessary to be accepted by an organization or group of people is often referred to as “hazing,” and it’s illegal under California Law, and is covered under California Penal Code 245.6 PC. Hazing is usually charged as a misdemeanor, unless serious bodily injury occurs. In the above case, since the hazing resulted in Villa’s tragic death, it is likely that any charges, if filed, will be felony-level.
The potential penalties for felony-level hazing charges include county jail sentences of 16 months to 3 years, on top of the penalties for whatever additional charges the defendants may be prosecuted for.
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