Phat Nguyen – Michigan State Hazing Death

Case Details

– 30th Circuit Court, County of Ingham, Case No. 23-245-NO

Who: Phat Anh Nguyen was an undergraduate student at Michigan State University and a pledge of the Asian American fraternity Pi Alpha Phi.

What Happened: As alleged in the complaint, on November 19, 2021, Phat was summoned to a “blackout” event that was planned, organized, promoted, and run by members of Pi Alpha Phi, with the assistance of two partner sororities. The principal aim of the event was to get pledges, including Phat, as drunk as possible as fast as possible so they would blackout or “die” and be “reborn” as members of the fraternity.

Before long, Phat and the other pledges were pale, unconscious, or semiconscious, and sprawled out on filthy mattresses in the basement of the fraternity house where the event was held. At approximately 1:58 a.m. on November 20, 2021—more than two hours after Phat first lost consciousness—someone finally called 911.

When law enforcement arrived, they found Phat lying on the basement floor at the bottom of the stairs, with three other pledges passed out on mattresses. All were shirtless and covered in Sharpie-scrawled profanity. Law enforcement administered 12 units of Narcan, attempted to clear vomit from Phat’s airway, initiated chest compressions, and undertook other life-preserving measures with paramedics. Their efforts were unsuccessful. Phat was pronounced dead on the basement floor at approximately 2:32 a.m. The other pledges were transported to the emergency room for treatment for acute alcohol intoxication.

An autopsy determined that Phat died of acute ethanol toxicity. His blood alcohol concentration was 0.386, nearly five times the legal limit for driving in the State of Michigan.

Results

The Estate of Phat Anh Nguyen filed a lawsuit against individual defendants and others, asserting liability arising from the planning, execution, and aftermath of the “blackout” hazing event that resulted in Phat’s death. The case is still ongoing.

Impact

The case exposes the lethal consequences of alcohol-based hazing rituals, delayed medical intervention, and the normalization of extreme intoxication as a rite of passage, raising serious questions about accountability for those who organize and participate in such events.