LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A lawsuit alleges that weeks of fraternity hazing led a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student to kill himself.
Kam Rokon claims in the lawsuit filed in Lancaster County District Court that his brother, Rahat Jalil, was forced to stand outside all night with no clothes on and was told to urinate on other pledges who didn't follow directions before his death in January 2019. He was 18, The Lincoln Journal-Star reports.
The suit seeks unspecified damages from Lambda Phi Epsilon International and the fraternity's Nebraska chapter. It says the fraternity didn't have policies in place or enforce those it did, nor did it provide the supervision required to ensure Jalil's safety.
Katie Cheatle, the attorney representing the Nebraska chapter of Lambda Phi Epsilon, said the fraternity members were saddened by the loss of their brother and refute that anything the fraternity did is related to his death.
The local chapter of Lambda Phi Epsilon, an Asian-centered fraternity, was founded in 2016, joining three other chapters in UNL's Multicultural Greek Council. The fraternity does not have a house on campus, and therefore is not subject to university-approved housing rules.
UNL is not named in the suit and officials declined to comment, citing the pending litigation and an ongoing investigation.