BREAKING
A dozen Virginia Tech cadets suspended as result of 'blood-pinning'
By Henri Gendreau henri.gendreau@roanoke.com 540-381-1679 Dec 20, 2019


Virginia Tech Corps of Cadts assemble in November at the War Memorial Pylons for a dedication ceremony.
The Roanoke Times | File

BLACKSBURG — A dozen cadets are suspended from Virginia Tech after university officials determined last week they were involved in a “blood pinning” rite in which military pins are stabbed into the chest, according to a Corps of Cadets employee.

Montgomery County Commonwealth’s Attorney Mary Pettitt received a letter dated Dec. 12 from Virginia Tech alerting her office of alleged hazing among the Corps, as required by state law. Pettitt said Tuesday her office is determining whether the actions rise to the level of criminal hazing under state law.

“The Office of Student Conduct and the Corps of Cadets has held a hearing and determined that members of Corps of Cadets were involved in hazing activities as defined by the Code of Virginia,” a university lawyer wrote. “This decision also entails a 10 day appeal period, which runs from today. The students found responsible were notified of both the decision and the ability to appeal today.”

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Henri Gendreau covers Virginia Tech for The Roanoke Times.

Blood-pinning lawsuit ends in settlement

Caroline Boda, news staff writer Mar 11, 2020

The lawsuit against Virginia Tech brought forth last month by former cadet Darrien Brown has been resolved.

Brown was a senior majoring in business management at Virginia Tech and in the Corps of Cadets when he was suspended in December for his alleged involvement in a hazing act. Brown was ultimately found guilty for overseeing a “blood-pinning” ritual on Oct. 18, 2019, after being heard during a student conduct hearing along with several other cadets.

The alleged act took place during a ceremony in which 20 sophomore cadets voluntarily agreed to have the sharp side of a pin pushed into their chest, often breaking the surface of the skin. The ritual was done in a similar way to how it has been performed for years prior.

Brown’s suspension consists of absence from the school for two semesters. With that, Brown is required to forfeit his planned enlistment with the army following his graduation in May 2020 and pay back the money given to him with his military scholarship. The suspension also prevents Brown from receiving any credits from another institution to count toward his degree and allow his planned graduation date to still take place in May.

Following his suspension, Brown filed a lawsuit claiming he was deprived of due process during his student conduct hearing. Brown’s lawyer, Rob Dean, claimed the university stripped Brown of his right to know his accuser. Dean also stated that Brown may not have been provided all necessary documents in preparation for the hearing.

After stating these issues in the lawsuit, Brown demanded that his record be cleared in relation to any act of hazing and subsequent discipline given to him. Moreover, Brown requested that no further action or discipline be taken by Virginia Tech regarding this case and that the university cover all attorney costs.

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EDUCATION

Virginia Tech sued by three more former cadets over blood pinning punishments

By Henri Gendreau henri.gendreau@roanoke.com 540-381-1679

Virginia Tech is being sued by three more former cadets over how the university disciplined them in a blood pinning ritual last fall.

The lawsuits, filed in federal court this week, allege university officials “created fake emails, withheld documents, and misled accused students about the basic facts of their case.”

In December, the university suspended a dozen students for at least a semester after a student conduct hearing determined their actions violated Virginia Tech’s hazing policy.

The three new lawsuits, following one settled in February, stem from an incident in October, when members of the Corps of Cadets “Bravo company” took part in a sophomore initiation rite. Cadets did calisthenics, hiked a mountain and held a bonfire, where they gave out small military pins for participating. The pins were tapped into the chest in an exercise known as blood pinning. Afterward, they went to Cook-Out.

Joshua Gunther, a junior from Maryland, Kyle Williams, a junior from South Carolina, and a third plaintiff, identified only as “John Doe,” allege the university violated their due process rights.

On Friday morning, Montgomery County Commonwealth’s Attorney Mary Pettitt announced that her office would not prosecute the students for hazing under state law based on her office’s investigation of the October incident.

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Henri Gendreau covers Virginia Tech for The Roanoke Times.