BATON ROUGE, La. — A national fraternity says it has closed its chapter at Louisiana State University while it investigates the death of a freshman who was being considered for membership.
A statement Monday on Phi Delta Theta’s website says preliminary results from its investigation of 18-year-old Maxwell Gruver’s death found that some members were violating a rule against alcohol in fraternity houses.
The Oxford, Ohio-based fraternity says it has removed the LSU chapter’s charter, and will immediately close it.
Gruver died Thursday. The coroner’s office said Friday that a preliminary autopsy found a “highly elevated” level of alcohol in his blood, and marijuana also was present in his blood and urine.
Phi Delta Theta Executive Vice President and CEO Bob Biggs say the alcohol-free housing policy began in 2000.
