Lawsuit Against University for Pub Crawl Moves Forward

Jamie G. Goldstein

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A wrongful death lawsuit against the University of Rhode Island continues to move forward this week with depositions. The lawsuit alleges that a university student, Francis Marx V, was killed in 2004 during a pub crawl that the university was aware of but failed to do anything about.

The university admits that it was aware of the pub crawl, however, it did not prohibit the activity. Instead, the university merely advised against it saying that it was concerned about the safety issues. If the university would have taken a tougher stand then it is likely Francis Marx V would still be here today.

Many universities are well aware of the alcohol related activities that occur at their schools, but they continue to turn a blind eye saying that they cannot control the students' actions. How can they say they cannot control their actions while at the same time these universities allow various clubs and organizations on campus that sponsor alcohol related activities? If the university is going to allow these organizations to exist and have these activities then there needs to be stricter guidelines enforced as to what will and will not be tolerated.

The university and other defendants failed to make sure proper steps were taken to either stop the pub crawl or insure the students' safety. Francis Marx V died at age 21. He was scheduled to give the school's valedictorian speech the day after his death.