Noah Domingo Hazing Death

Case Details

Who: Noah was a beloved son and brother who died as a result of fraternity hazing that involved the illegal provision and misuse of alcohol at the University of California, Irvine.

What Happened: During his second quarter at the University of California, Irvine, Noah Domingo was in the process of pledging the California Psi Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, Inc. In the early evening of January 11, 2019, at a house rented by the Defendants, Noah was presented with a 375 ml bottle of Jack Daniels and directed Noah to consume the entire contents as part of what was identified as being a fraternity tradition.

Noah became incapacitated around 11:00 pm. He was placed on a bed in the room next to at least two other fraternity pledges who, like Noah, were incapacitated as a result of consuming their “family drinks.” Noah was allegedly left unattended for the next several hours. At approximately 9:42 am on January 12, 2019, a fraternity member called 911 to report that Noah was unconscious and unresponsive and that his “whole body is, like, blue now.”

Emergency personnel later arrived, yet all attempts to revive Noah were unsuccessful. At autopsy, it was determined that Noah died of “acute alcohol intoxication” with a 0.331% blood alcohol level.

Results

As with so many fraternity cases, the familily’s efforts to uncover the truth about Noah’s death was hindered by coordinated and untruthful statements by fraternity members. Requests to dismiss the case were denied, and the family held the fraternity and each and every member involved in hazing Noah legally responsible for his death in the form of numerous, substantial confidential settlements.

Impact

The death of Noah Domingo prompted criminal charges against fraternity members and increased scrutiny of alcohol-related misconduct within Greek life at University of California, Irvine. In response, the university suspended the fraternity chapter involved and reviewed its policies governing alcohol use, underage drinking, and fraternity oversight. The case also contributed to broader discussions among prosecutors, universities, and policymakers about accountability when alcohol-related misconduct results in serious harm or death.