Former San Diego State University student Lars Larsen filed a civil lawsuit on April 16 against fraternity Phi Kappa Psi Inc., SDSU and the California State University system.
While performing a skit on Feb. 17, 2024, Larsen’s clothes were set on fire as suggested by fellow pledge Nicholas Simon, according to the lawsuit. Larsen claims in the document that he was involved in another skit the previous night, in which a guitar was broken over his head.
The incident involving the fire left Larsen with third-degree burns over 16% of his body, requiring skin grafts and leaving him with nerve damage in his legs and back.
Larsen claims SDSU, the CSU system and Phi Kappa Psi Inc. are guilty of negligence. According to the lawsuit document, they owed him “reasonable care to prevent foreseeable injuries arising from hazing, dangerous skits, and fire-related conduct at fraternity events,” which Larsen says he did not receive.
According to the lawsuit document, after being set on fire, Larsen was placed in a shower and wrapped in an aluminum blanket for three hours before emergency services were contacted. Larsen was hospitalized at Scripps Hillcrest for 10 days before being transferred to UC Davis Medical Center.
As reported previously by the Daily Aztec, the Lambda chapter of Psi Kappa Psi had been under probation for hazing-related activity when the incident occurred, alongside six other Greek Life organizations.
Larsen claims that this history of hazing at SDSU should have been a cause for more supervision and enforcement of “policies prohibiting hazing, dangerous conduct and alcohol abuse in connection with university-recognized fraternities operating on or near campus,” according to the document.
Currently, Larsen, along with four other members of Psi Kappa Psi, are facing criminal charges, including underage alcohol consumption and conspiracy to cover up the incident, which consisted of fraternity members urging each other to delete evidence such as group chats and videos.
Both the criminal case against the four members and the civil lawsuit from Larsen are ongoing.
