Theta Chi should be sued

On Jan. 27 of this year, freshman Seth Korona attended a party at Theta Chi fraternity. While there, he was one of several people who did a keg stand -- a headstand on top of a keg while drinking through the nozzle. Afterwards, Korona fell and hit his head on a metal door frame. Korona was hospitalized two days after the party and remained in a coma until he was taken off life support.\nSeth Korona, 19, died Feb. 4 of bleeding in the brain caused by a skull fracture he sustained at the party at Theta Chi. Monroe County Prosecutor Carl Salzmann decided not to file charges in the case.\nFriday Korona's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming Theta Chi International, the fraternity's local chapter, which has since disbanded and Bl oomington Hospital as defendants. \nNobody forced Korona to drink the beer or Everclear "rush punch" offered at the Theta Chi party or forced him to do a keg stand. That was Korona's own fault. Insufficient care by the fraternity hosting the party did not cause Korona to die. But their irresponsibility directly led to Korona not receiving timely treatment and care. Theta Chi absolutely deserves to be listed on the Korona family's lawsuit.\nWhen a person or group of people have a party they are responsible for everyone and everything at that party. When Korona hit his head, witnesses told police he briefly lost consciousness. He should have been taken to the hospital the minute this occurred. The fact that Korona was a minor and should not have been served alcohol might have come out, but concern for the life and health of another person should have been more important than not getting caught.\nMembers of the fraternity brought Korona back to his residence hall that night. They told Korona's floormates to look out for him. Korona's floormates had no way of guessing he actually had a severe skull fracture. \nWhen Korona did get to the hospital, doctors initially tested him for meningitis. Monroe County Coroner David Toumey told the IDS if doctors had known immediately that Korona had sustained a blow to the head, they might have been able to do more to treat him. \nAlthough he was not a member of the fraternity, not a "brother," Theta Chi should have been the first group to "look out for" Seth Korona after his injury occurred. They chose not to do this and continued a chain of irresponsibility that started with Korona and led to his untimely death.\nStaff vote: 9 - 7 - 0