Max Gruver's mom: 'Our family is broken'

BATON ROUGE — Hazing by college fraternities would become a felony in a bill that cleared a House panel here Wednesday after powerful testimony from the parents of hazing victim Max Gruver.

House Bill 78 by Rep. Nancy Landry, R-Lafayette, would affect all educational organizations and clubs. It would also make the organizations and universities criminally liable if they knew of hazing and didn't report it to authorities.

"Our family is broken," said Rae Ann Gruver, whose son Max died following a hazing incident at LSU last fall. "We will never be the same. How do we face every day knowing our son was killed so senselessly?"

Under present law hazing is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100 and up to 30 days in jail.

If Landry's bill passes, the penalties for hazing if someone is injured, dies or has a blood alcohol content of .25 or above would increase to a maximum $10,000 fine and up to five years in jail.

Gruver wept throughout her testimony.

She recounted the night of Sept. 14, 2017 when Max, a Phi Delta Theta fraternity pledge, was forced to take 10-12 long drinks of alcohol before being left on a couch unconscious. "My son choked on his own vomit," Gruver said.

"We used to have a house full of happiness," she said. "Now our house is dark."

Other anti-hazing bills are also moving through the Legislature.

Senate Bill 91 by Dan Claitor, in which anyone found responsible for a hazing-related death could face additional legal damages in civil court, moved favorably from a Senate committee Tuesday.

And House Bill 446 by Rep. Reid Falconer, R-Mandeville, would require anyone who engages in reckless behavior that results in injury to another person to immediately seek or report the need for medical assistance. It was moved out of committee favorably Wednesday.

But Landry's bill making hazing a felony is the centerpiece of the anti-hazing legislation.

And the Gruvers, who live is Roswell, Ga., said they believe Landry's bill could become a model for the rest of the country.

"The country is looking at Louisiana, and this is the best written bill we've seen," Steve Gruver said. "This bill is the key deterrent to end hazing."

A grand jury indicted four former LSU students in the Gruver case — three under the current misdemeanor hazing law and one charged with negligent homicide.

East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore testified in favor of Landry's bill.

"(Hazing) is 100 percent preventable and this legislation properly addresses the behavior and will act as a deterrent," Moore said.

Landry said the ultimate goal is to make hazing unacceptable.

"You don't have to be subjected to sadistic practices to develop lifelong bonds," Landry said.

If the bill becomes law, it will be known as the Max Gruver Act.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1