Chi Tau - Hazing Death

Hazing Death

21-year old Matthew Carrington transferred to Chico State in fall 2004 from Diablo Valley College. He was studying management information systems and was asked to pledge Chi Tau by friend Mike Quintana. The two men began pledging that fall.

Toward the end of the pledge process, Carrington indicated to friends that he was tired of pledging and that his grades were beginning to suffer from it. Chi Tau forced the pledges to spend the final week, known by the fraternity as "Initiation Week," or more commonly by the pledges as "hell week", in the basement of the fraternity house. The 10 foot by 20 foot basement room was a cold, damp place littered with cigarette butts and writing on the walls, including the phrase "In the basement, no one can hear you scream."