SEATTLE – Washington State University owed a “duty of care” to Sam Martinez, a student who died in a 2019 fraternity hazing incident, a state appeals court ruled this week.
A 19-year-old freshman from Bellevue and a Newport High graduate, Martinez died of alcohol poisoning while pledging a WSU-recognized fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega.
In a lawsuit filed in 2020, Martinez’s parents argued that WSU, the fraternity and others bore responsibility for the death. In 2022, a King County Superior Court judge dismissed the case against the university, writing that WSU did not owe a duty of care to Martinez…