Former SDSU Fraternity Pledge Files Hazing Lawsuit

Frantz, the family’s lawyer, said Brennan was hesitant at first to file the lawsuit; however, he and the family wanted to send a message and make sure no one else goes through an experience like his. 

“Our clients want everyone to know, all the moms and dads and all the students, that fraternities can be very dangerous and it’s not to be taken lightly, and evaluate the fraternity that you’re going through,” Frantz said. “Look at every— anything you can about their history and be very wary, because he had no idea. This came out of left field.”

According to its website, Kappa Sigma is the largest college fraternity in the world, with more than 250,000 living members, including over 17,000 undergraduates and nearly 300 chapters and colonies located throughout the US and Canada. 

In an email to BuzzFeed News, Mitchell B. Wilson, the executive director of Kappa Sigma’s national office, said it was aware of the pending lawsuit.

“What happened to Benjamin Brennan is unacceptable under any circumstances, and the Kappa Sigma Fraternity has taken action against the individuals who were involved,” he wrote. “As an organization, we continue to adamantly oppose hazing, the misuse of alcohol and placing the health and safety of any person at risk.”

SDSU was not named in the lawsuit; however, in an email to BuzzFeed News, school officials said Kappa Sigma was suspended and expelled in 2022. The Kappa Sigma SDSU chapter has not been an approved, recognized student organization since 2020. 

“At SDSU, we expect all of our students to uphold our institutional values, and for our students to also honor the policies of their local and national chapters and the distinct values of their organizations,” the email said. “As always, the university urges any member of the community to report incidents of concerns, and SDSU looks into each individual complaint and will move forward with separate investigations as warranted.”

According to SDSU, the Kappa Sigma fraternity chapter appealed the university’s decision to expel it earlier this year, but the school upheld the expulsion.