Parents of teen killed in hazing incident win $14 million settlement
December 2, 2018
The family of David Bogenberger, a former NIU student who died at an unsanctioned Pi Kappa Alpha event in November of 2012, will receive $14 million dollars as the result of a wrongful death lawsuit leveled against fraternity members and bystanders.
Bogenberger, who was from Palatine, was a freshman at the time of his death. As a Pi Kappa Alpha pledge, Bogenberger was pushed to consume excessive amounts of alcohol at a hazing event and became unresponsive, though other attendees did not call paramedics. Autopsy results found his blood alcohol content to be four times the legal limit at .35.
Related: Wrongful death suit continues; parents of hazing victim to sue former fraternity members
Individuals associated with the now-defunct fraternity chapter would later plead guilty to misdemeanor reckless conduct in May of 2015. Though 22 plead guilty, none received jail time and instead completed community service sentences, fines and probation.
The lawsuit was originally filed against the fraternity’s national and local organizations as well as bystanders, but the courts dropped the national organization from the suit. The money awarded in the settlement will go to Bogenberger’s parents, Gary and Ruth, who called the lawsuit a “hollow victory,” according to a Nov. 30 Daily Herald article.