SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The family accusing a fraternity of nearly killing their freshman teen at San Diego State University during a night of hazing has spoken publicly about the lawsuit they filed on Friday.
In an interview with Good Morning America, the Brennan family said their lives were changed forever two years ago.
The Kappa Sigma fraternity and nine of its members are listed as defendants in the lawsuit.
Kaitlin Brennan, Benjamin's sister, said her brother was everyone's favorite guy before the incident.
"He lit up a room. Now it feels like we're getting to know a new Ben," she said.
According to the lawsuit, when Benjamin Brennan was pledging the fraternity in 2021, members forced him to consume drugs and hard alcohol in amounts that would literally kill most people.
San Diego State said it expelled the Kappa Sigma fraternity from its campus last year.
"There was a 750ml bottle of Captain Morgan rum. He was instructed, he was commanded, to drink it all, and they provided tobacco and marijuana, and he was supposed to consume that as well," James P. Frantz, the lawyer representing the family, said.
The lawsuit alleges that a fraternity member then drove Brennan to a nearby hospital, and then dumped his lifeless body while trying to avoid responsibility.
"These boys just abandoned their brother and left him for dead," Lindsay Gibson, Benjamin's mother, said. "That's not brotherhood."
The 19-year-old was in a coma, and two years later, Benjamin is still recovering.
"He can't work, and we don't know if they'll be able to. He can't go back to school now. All those types of damages and all the emotional distress damages, he's going to suffer," Frantz said.
The Brennans said Benjamin faces an uncertain future.
"Greek life is a big part of college experience. But I want to caution families to have a long, thoughtful, serious conversation before your sons join that type of community, because you might think 'Oh, not my son. My son's too smart.' And that's exactly what I told myself. And I'm lucky that he's alive," Gibson said.
The university itself is not named in the lawsuit.
Brennan's attorneys said police investigated, and the case has been turned over to the district attorney for review.
10News has previously reached out to Kappa Sigma for comment, but our newsroom has not received a response as of Sunday night.
