The following information was uncovered by Reziphel.
Published: Nov. 24, 1996
A University of Texas fraternity member died of alcohol poisoning after possibly consuming as many as 20 drinks during a night with friends, the Travis County medical examiner said Monday.
A roommate found the body of Georges Masters, 18, in their apartment on Nov. 11. Test results received Monday show that Masters' blood alcohol level was .40 -- or 4.0 parts of alcohol per 1,000 parts of blood, according to Travis County Medical Examiner Robert Bayardo. A level of .35 is considered lethal, he said.
Masters' roommate, Ryan Helling, said Monday that he returned to their near-campus apartment in the 800 block of West 25th Street about 4:30 a.m. Nov. 11 and found Masters snoring on the couch.
Masters, a rush candidate of the Delta Upsilon fraternity, had been drinking with a few friends at the apartment the night before, said Helling, who is also a member of the fraternity.
Masters still was on the couch when Helling went to his classes later that morning, but Helling said he didn't notice anything wrong. The roommate said he came home from school in the afternoon, took a nap and then woke up and found that Masters was still on the couch and was not moving. Helling called 911.
Masters was pronounced dead at 7:03 p.m.
UT officials started an investigation Monday to determine whether Delta Upsilon members might have violated any university rules against hazing, said Sharon Justice, dean of students.
No information was available as to whether the university had ever disciplined the fraternity.
Sally Muir, a spokeswoman for the Austin Police Department, said detectives were waiting for a final report on the case from the Travis County medical examiner's office, but she declined to comment further.
Masters didn't appear to have a drinking problem, his roommate said. Helling said he had never seen Masters pass out from drinking and that he would typically only consume a few drinks at a time.
Masters, a doctor's son from Plano, was a freshman majoring in business and was well-liked by members of the fraternity, said Helling, who described his friend as "outgoing and dramatic."
"A lot of people at the fraternity cared about him," Helling said, "and we're all here to support each other."
Masters had a fiancee in Kansas whom he would call nearly every night, Helling added. They planned to get married after Masters graduated.
Other fraternity members declined to comment Monday night.
Published: Feb. 18, 1997
The University of Texas has suspended the Delta Upsilon fraternity for hazing new members but has decided that no hazing occurred in the alcohol-related death of student Georges Masters.
Dean of Students Sharon Justice said the three-month investigation following Masters' death in November concluded that Delta Upsilon members provided alcohol to underage students and humiliated and intimidated new members. No action was taken against any individual fraternity members.
"There was no evidence to support the hazing of Georges Masters," Justice said.
But Frank Branson, a Masters family attorney in Dallas, disputed UT's findings and said the family is considering filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the fraternity. Masters had been drinking at his West Campus apartment with other fraternity members, Branson said. He said witnesses reported that those companions carried Masters, who was drunk, out of his apartment to the fraternity house chanting Greek letters and flashing the hook 'em horns sign. Masters' family deferred questions to their attorney.
"It appeared to be a one-sided drinking contest," in which only Masters was drinking, Branson said. "That may not be hazing under the eyes of the UT, but it is under the criminal statutes of Texas."
The Masters family believes tape residue and Greek letters written in marker on Masters' body indicate hazing, Branson said.
"Although it may be hard to believe, [many students] write on each other when they've been drinking," Justice said.
She said neither she nor the students she talked to in the investigation could explain why Masters' wrists had been taped.
Masters, 18, was a rush candidate for Delta Upsilon. He died Nov. 11 from alcohol poisoning. His blood-alcohol level was .4 percent, four times the legal intoxication limit for driving.
Drinking at Central Texas universities has come under scrutiny in recent weeks. On Feb. 7, Southwest Texas State University student Nicholas Armstrong was beaten to death after a Tau Kappa Epsilon party. The suspect in his slaying committed suicide, police said. Aaron Durante, another SWT student, was taken to the hospital with alcohol poisoning after another fraternity party the same night. In response, SWT administrators suspended all members of the Interfraternity Council on campus.
The suspension of UT's chapter of Delta Upsilon will expire on Aug. 5, 1998, if members complete a probation that includes attending alcohol education programs and performing at least 16 hours of community service over the next two years. The service must be with local projects or groups devoted to alcohol awareness.
"I was very disappointed," Justice said. "We've put together so many efforts to educate them about the consequences, and they still didn't understand."
A call to Delta Upsilon was not returned Wednesday.
Steve Zizzo, associate executive vice president of the National Interfraternity Conference in Indianapolis, said the group supports university efforts to get tough on violations.
"The success of fraternities starts with their recruitment process," he said. "The way that they recruit and induct them into their fraternities is the way they learn to behave."