Central Michigan University Student Charged in Alleged Peanut Butter Hazing Incident

A Central Michigan University student is facing criminal charges after a hazing incident left another student with a swollen eye.

The 20-year-old student, Dale Merza, has been charged with misdemeanor hazing for allegedly smearing peanut butter on a student with a peanut allergy while he was passed out. Although Merza’s lawyer maintains his client’s innocence and believes the student will get off,  Merza could get up to 93 days in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted.

“I’m confident that once the facts are laid out in court, Mr. Merza will be found not guilty of any kind of hazing. This case has been blown way out of proportion by the individual’s family members, who were not present and don’t have any of the facts,” Bruce Leach said on Monday. “Mr. Merza has never been in trouble before in his life. I don’t believe he’ll be convicted.”

According to reports, the incident took place in October at Alpha Chi Rho, an off-campus fraternity that was banned in 2011 for hazing. However, it wasn’t until five months later, that 19-year-old Andrew Seely, who just enrolled in the fall, told his parents about the incident. Afterward, his mother took to Facebook to disclose what happened to her son, in an attempt to raise awareness.

“He could have been killed,” she wrote in March. “Our family is devastated. We thought we were sending our child off to school in a safe environment, and obviously, that wasn’t the case. He could have died from this. He has a deadly peanut allergy.”

The fraternity was not recognized by the school or by the national fraternity, as its request for reinstatement was denied. As a result, the National Fraternity of Alpha Chi Rho released a statement denouncing the incident, reiterating that the chapter was not documented.

“Alpha Chi Rho is appalled and upset by the actions taken by individuals against Andrew Seely. …Alpha Chi Rho does not condone this type of behavior – or any form of hazing – and it stands in conflict with our mission to cultivate men of character, honor, and integrity.”

The incident is reportedly under investigation by the University, although the status is unknown. In the meantime, a settlement conference has been set for April 19.