Family of UK fraternity member who died last year calls for anti-hazing laws in Kentucky
The family of the University of Kentucky fraternity member who died of alcohol toxicity last year is calling for new anti-hazing legislation to be passed in the state.
In a bill request, which was introduced at the interim joint committee on judiciary Thursday, intentionally participating in hazing that results in serious physical injury or death to another minor or student would become a Class D felony. It would also make participation in hazing a Class A misdemeanor.
The bill would be called Lofton’s Law in honor of UK student Thomas Lofton Hazelwood, who died last year at UK.
Hazelwood died on Oct. 18, 2021, after being found unresponsive at the FarmHouse Fraternity house. A report from the university found that he drank approximately 18 one-ounce shots of Wild Turkey 101 bourbon within 45 minutes. This took place before the fraternity’s tradition of “serenades,” where members would visit sorority houses and sing to members.
Tracey Hazelwood, Lofton’s mother, recalled through tears the events leading up to her son’s death at the committee meeting on Thursday. Hazelwood said she hopes this law will prevent future deaths from hazing in Kentucky.
“I beg that you please consider this bill,” Hazelwood said. “We need Lofton’s Law in place as soon as possible. It’s not going to bring my son back, but it might save somebody else’s son.”
Lofton Hazelwood was an 18-year-old freshman from Henderson and a new member of the fraternity when he died.
Tracey Hazelwood said Lofton had told them of several instances where he was hazed by fraternity members, including a camping trip where pledges were left in the middle of a field with no phones, and times when they were made to do “wall sits and were verbally abused.” A report from UK confirmed that those events took place in the fall 2021 semester.
“Lofton had called me and texted me a few times that he wanted to drop out of pledging,” Tracey Hazelwood said. “My husband and I were both so adamant that he was not dropping. We truly thought that he was just being a baby. He was the baby of the family. He told me that he couldn’t stand the way that they talked to him, but we had no clue what he was going through. We told him it was almost over.”
After Hazelwood’s death, the FarmHouse Fraternity’s status as a student organization was revoked by both UK and the national chapter. Members living in the house were required to move out, and a no-contact order was issued, meaning members of the UK chapter could have no association with FarmHouse for seven years.
The request, BR 161, is currently a draft and is subject to change. It was presented by Sen. Robby Mills and Rep. Jonathan Dixon on Thursday.
“We believe that intentional, wanton and reckless participation in the act of hazing needs to be stopped in Kentucky,” Mills said. “And the only way for organizations and people who operate these organizations to understand the severity of hazing is to attach a crime to this behavior in Kentucky.”
Dixon said that while he recognizes that fraternities and sororities can have a positive impact on students’ college experiences, hazing needs to be stopped.
“I hope that by starting this conversation today about the risk and the potential outcomes that have come from hazing, we can potentially add a stiffer penalty to those who engage in that behavior and result in saving many, many lives,” Dixon said.
There are 13 states with laws that make hazing a felony when it results in death or serious injury, Mills said.
“Kentucky needs a law against hazing,” Hazelwood said. “Our hope is for this law to pass and deter these fraternity members from hazing. It needs to be a misdemeanor and a felony for physical bodily damage and death.”
This story was originally published October 20, 2022 at 3:53 PM.