Anderson Cooper used one of his 60 Minutes slots on the weekend to explore a tragic death that never should have happened.Sam Martinez was a student at Washington State University.
In 2019, he died while pledging Alpha Tau Omega.According to his parents, Martinez had been trying to join the fraternity for the previous two months.
Only after his death did his folks find out about some of the things he’d been going through to join. According to witnesses who spoke to police, he’d already been hit, tackled, and asked to consume large quantities of alcohol.Related: Student accuses campus fraternity of homophobia and hazing, says he’s no longer safe at schoolReports of abusive hazing practices at fraternities are not uncommon, sometimes.