News
2007-01-11
Dead University
of Texas student's body defaced with antigay epithets
Antigay epithets
found on dead Texas student's body
The body of an
18-year-old
The body of an
18-year-old fraternity pledge who died of alcohol
poisoning was defaced with numerous antigay epithets and
obscene drawings, according to a medical examiner's
report. Phanta ''Jack'' Phoummarath, a freshman at the
University of Texas at Austin, died after ingesting
large amounts of alcohol at a pledge party at the Lambda Phi
Epsilon house in December 2005, authorities said.
Phoumarrath's body was found the following day.
A grand jury indicted three members of the
fraternity last month on hazing charges following a
yearlong investigation into Phoummarath's death.
The Travis County medical examiner's office
reported that partygoers used green and black markers
to write ''FAG,'' ''I'm gay,'' and ''I AM FAT'' on
Phoummarath's head, face, torso, legs, and feet. Someone
also added drawings depicting naked men and women and
blackened his toenails.
''It was disgusting and despicable behavior,''
Houston attorney Randy Sorrels, who is representing
Phoummarath's family, said Tuesday. ''This would be
the juvenile behavior you might see in junior high or high
school, but not college.''
Sorrels said Phoummarath was not gay. He said
the drawings and epithets were a juvenile prank and
that it had not yet been determined how long before
Phoumarrath's death the writing took place.
His family alleges in a lawsuit against the
fraternity that pledges were pressured to drink at the
party and that someone wrote vulgar graffiti on
Phoummarath's body after he passed out. The medical examiner
ruled that Phoummarath died of acute alcohol
poisoning. (Joe Stinebaker, AP)
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