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January 11, 2007

Dead University of Texas student's body defaced with antigay epithets

Dead University of Texas student's body defaced with antigay epithets

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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