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Parents Of Student Megan HeLal, Who Died After Binge Drinking Vodka, Sue Fraternity

The Huffington Post UK  |  By Posted: 21/03/2012 12:21 Updated: 21/03/2012 12:22

Megan Helal
Megan HeLal died after binge-drinking vodka

A university's fraternity group is being sued for negligence by the parents of a 19-year-old who died after a vodka binge-drinking session.

Megan HeLal died in March 2010, while she was staying at her boyfriend's apartment, who at the time was a student at Baylor University, Texas. The pair attended at party thrown at nearby Mynar's Bar by the Sigma Chi fraternity.

The student then passed out at her boyfriend's apartment after the party and was discovered by him hours later, Fox News reports. According to Baylor University's paper the Lariat, the call to the emergency services was made by her boyfriend.

She later died at a hospital in Waco.

The undergraduate was studying at Navarro College, also in Texas, and was an avid volleyball player, having competed in several Junior Olympic National competitions, as well as belonging to her university's team.

HeLal's parents Donna and Jeff have since filed a lawsuit against the fraternity and the bar, and some sources also claim against the teenager's boyfriend.

According to the lawsuit, HeLal consumed between 10 and 17 drinks containing vodka within two hours, despite her being "underage and visibly drunk".

The autopsy report stated HeLal died from natural causes but her family are seeking to prove her death was as a result of the high levels of alcohol in her system.

Linda Turley, representing the HeLal family, said: "Clearly the bar didn't monitor what was going on inside. They didn't know who the liquor was being served to. They just kept track of how much they served.

"In addition, they allowed the fraternity to set up bottle service in a little room where the drinking was going on."

The all-male Sigma Chi society claims to be one of North America's largest and oldest fraternities, boasting more than 300,000 members.

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A university's fraternity group is being sued for negligence by the parents of a 19-year-old who died after a vodka binge-drinking session. Megan HeLal died in March 2010, while she was staying at ...
A university's fraternity group is being sued for negligence by the parents of a 19-year-old who died after a vodka binge-drinking session. Megan HeLal died in March 2010, while she was staying at ...
 
 
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DISGUSTED WITH COST
16 Fans
12:56 AM on 03/22/2012
Where there's blame there's a claim comes to mind.
Why do the Americans go to Europe on their " Gap " years, so they can drink.
The laws are very archaic in the US, ------ LIGHTEN UP.
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DeuxExMachina
161 Fans
12:13 AM on 03/22/2012
While schools may act in loco parentis, universities do not. Generally you are over 18 when you enter university and technically an adult although the Americans have a screwy law that legislates that you can't drink till you're 21. Nothing really applies here. The girl was drinking at a bar though and collapsed at her boyfriend's apartment. The "crime" was not at the boyfriend's apartment (university run or otherwise).
A big question would be, if she had been drinking at a university let apartment, does the university department in charge of accommodation need to police for drugs and alcohol in its units it manages?
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Noodle Lizard
15 Fans
10:24 PM on 03/21/2012
Why don't they try considering whether they raised her right?

As much as I hate fraternities and am not a fan of alcohol in general, this is nobody's fault but her own. Unless, of course, she was being forcefed alcohol via a stomach drip.
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jadigun
7 Fans
08:52 PM on 03/21/2012
What is a natural cause of death of a 19 year old girl whom, I assume, had no previous illness or condition? Seriously, is that what they say when they can't find the cause or what?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Norman Mitchison
92 Fans
 
05:20 PM on 03/21/2012
She could have said no, but obviously wanted to carry on. Nobodys fault butb her own.
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BMC1955
27 Fans
04:10 PM on 03/21/2012
All very sad but had her parents not told her to say No is a big grown up thing to say. I do hope her parents do not win the case as it really was not forced on the girl she did it voluntarily. Sympathy for family and friends yes but to sue anyone will not make it any better.
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MolliBlum
2346 Fans
03:21 PM on 03/23/2012
Nailed it with "No is a big grown up thing to say" -- this is one of the very important things that we, as parents, really do have to help our kids to understand. Peer pressure can sometimes be huge, but ultimately, once you are out and about on your own, you have to know that is okay to say "no" to some things. And just be yourself. Not who other people want you to be.
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jmt432p
108 Fans
04:01 PM on 03/21/2012
Huff, you do know that Great Britain is NOT an American state, don't you?
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g4mqmdave
1 Fans
04:52 PM on 03/21/2012
DID YOU NOT KNOW WE ARE THE 51ST STATE
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HamletsMill
All Myth is Astronomy
4358 Fans
04:43 AM on 03/22/2012
No. Israel is the 51st State. Everyone on Earth knows this.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
CMR1188
77 Fans
02:20 PM on 03/21/2012
Unless somebody tied her down and inserted a tube down her throat and forced her to drink that vodka, then that lawsuit is bogus. Parents need to learn to accept their children's actions and the consequences of those actions. All teenagers binge drink. It's unfortunate that this girl lost her life.
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angeandmark
0 Fans
03:47 PM on 03/21/2012
All teenagers binge drink? I don't drink at all.

Still completley agree, if no-one forced her...
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IMHO-YouDoNotMatter
17 Fans
05:49 PM on 03/21/2012
Locally parents have alcohol parties for their kids, like they're being good parents if they do that. One 18 year old decided to drink liquor from a beer bong. He passed out and never woke up. Parents who hosted, claimed they didn't know there was a party going on and they got probation. Parents need to step up or there will be more cases of never knowing when to quit.
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