The event kicked off the University’s programming for National Hazing Prevention Week 2024
Courtney White, cousin of Adam Oakes, a Virginia Commonwealth University student who died due to alcohol poisoning during a fraternity hazing incident in 2021, discussed hazing prevention and warned attendees about the consequences of hazing at a Monday evening presentation. The event kicked off the first of the University’s events for National Hazing Prevention Week — a period for universities to raise awareness and increase education about hazing.
White is president of the Love Like Adam Foundation, a non-profit organization established in honor of Adam to support, educate and equip students, families and law enforcement officers with hazing prevention education. White spoke on Adam’s story prior to the hazing incident, including his passion for high school sports, and showed a video explaining the circumstances that led to Adam’s death.
In the video, members of Adam’s family and the Delta Chi fraternity recalled how members of the organization instructed Adam to drink a full bottle of whiskey before putting him to sleep on a nearby couch, where he subsequently died of alcohol poisoning. White noted that Adam’s death was preventable had members of his fraternity been more urgent in calling 911.
In addition, she shared methods of preventing hazing and discussed Adam’s Law — an anti-hazing law passed in 2022 in Virginia following Adam’s death. The law requires hazing prevention education at all Virginia colleges, legal immunity for bystanders who call 911 for help when hazing is occurring and also requires that universities post annual hazing reports online. White noted the dangers of hesitating to call for help and shared stories of other students who were physically and mentally harmed by hazing in order to encourage students to prevent these incidents.
“You are the one that can make a difference in saving a life.” White said. “You are the people that we wish Adam had with him that night, that would have called 911 and gotten him help.”
White also noted the severe consequences that hazing can have for perpetrators, describing the punishments 11 members of Delta Chi faced after Adam’s death, which included 250 hours of community service, a one year probation, expulsion from V.C.U. and participating in hazing prevention presentations with the Foundation. She also said that victims of hazing can personally sue fraternity members, and shared that during that process, the Oakes family was able to subpoena text messages from Delta Chi members leading up to Adam’s death.
