It was 3 a.m., dark, and cold as he and other pledges lined up for acceptance. Surrounded by anticipation, Caleb was prepared to be a part of a tradition. Until he collapsed.
On Feb. 27, 20-year-old Caleb Wilson engaged in an initiation with the Omega Psi Phi fraternity at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That night, in a secluded warehouse, Wilson became a fatal victim of hazing.
Hazing is a centuries-old ritual meant to humiliate, degrade, or endanger individuals as a requirement for joining or remaining in a group. In universities, these groups are often fraternities and sororities. In fact, 73% of students involved in fraternities or sororities experience hazing.
The pledge master, the person overseeing the hazing ritual, gives a series of instructions to the pledges, those hoping to be initiated. These instructions often involve dangerous activities, such as drinking harmful amounts of alcohol, forced sexual acts, or even branding parts of the body.
As for Caleb, the Southern University student was instructed to be punched in the chest four times by alleged pledge masters. Boxing gloves were used during the ritual, however, after four blows, Caleb collapsed and had a seizure. Caleb McCray, Kyle Thurman, and Isaiah Smith have since been arrested in connection to Wilson’s death.
But why would anyone participate in a life-threatening ritual?
According to the American Psychological Association, social conformity, obedience to authority, and the need for acceptance are the leading causes of participation in hazing. These feelings often override the rationale for participating in dangerous rituals.
Hazing victims also experience cognitive dissonance, a feeling of discomfort when a person’s actions conflict with their values. Most know participation is unsafe. But the desire for acceptance likely leads them to suppress this discomfort, with them justifying involvement.
In worse cases, victims of hazing do not require voluntary participation, neither do they require a person to be an aspiring member.
On a Friday night in 2011, Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brother George Desdunes was kidnapped, tied up, force-fed, and coerced into drinking lethal amounts of alcohol. After being unresponsive, he was brought to his school library and left on a leather couch. He was found dead the next morning.
George’s case was unique because he was already a fraternity member and did not voluntarily participate in the hazing ritual. In this instance, the ritual was in reverse: The freshmen fraternity pledges were the pledge masters, and their initiation involved harming an already established member. This incident highlighted the extreme lengths people will go in the pursuit of conformity, acceptance, and belonging.
With deaths like Caleb and George, hazing has led to a growing demand for stronger laws to protect individuals from these dangerous rituals.
In December 2024, former President Joe Biden signed the Stop Campus Hazing Act. This new federal law mandates colleges to disclose hazing statistics in annual reports. These reports will be called Campus Hazing Transparency Reports and will share details about anti-hazing policies and prevention programs.
Recognizing the severity of their actions, McCray, Thurman, and Smith fabricated the initial story of the February event. After the incident, they changed Caleb’s clothes, dropped him off at the emergency room, and told authorities that Caleb collapsed at a park after being struck in the chest while playing basketball.
Authorities quickly uncovered the extent of their efforts to conceal the events of the incident. The three pledge masters since have been arrested on felony hazing charges.
In response to Caleb’s death, Southern University took immediate action, halting all club and group activities on campus. The university’s Human Jukebox marching band expressed their condolences on Facebook.
“A dedicated student and a bright soul … our thoughts and prayers are with Caleb’s family, friends, and all who knew and loved him.” The marching band said.
Caleb’s death serves as a heartbreaking reminder to prioritize safety above all else. No group or sense of belonging is worth joining if it risks harm or death. His story calls for greater awareness and change in hazing prevention.
Caleb was a junior mechanical engineering student and a trumpet player with Southern University’s Human Jukebox band. He would have graduated in 2026.
