The president of a University of Connecticut fraternity, David Vallejo, was arrested for allegedly assaulting a prospective member during a hazing ritual. The victim, a UConn student, was forced to recite the fraternity’s code while doing push-ups when his arms began to give out. Vallejo allegedly threw him into a wall and pressed his forearm against the victim’s throat, causing him to cry.
The abuse continued the next day when the victim and others were again forced to recite the code in a push-up position. When the victim couldn’t hold the position due to bruising from the previous night, Vallejo once again threw him and pressed his arm into the victim’s neck. Vallejo reportedly told the students that the pain was just an excuse, and that he knew they could do better.
After the assaults, the victim dropped out of the fraternity but was reportedly assaulted a third time by Vallejo when he attempted to return his uniform the following month on campus. Vallejo is facing charges of third-degree assault, third-degree strangulation, second-degree unlawful restraint, and disorderly conduct. He was able to post $30,000 bail after his arrest.
The hazing incident allegedly took place during an initiation process in which pledges were required to recite the frat’s code while doing push-ups. The victim, who is a UConn student, claimed that he was unable to continue the push-ups and Vallejo threw him into a wall. Vallejo then pressed his forearm against the victim’s throat, causing the victim to cry.
The abusive behavior continued the next day when the victim and others had to repeat the code in a push-up position. When the victim couldn’t maintain the position due to bruising from the previous night, Vallejo flew into a rage and threw him once again. Vallejo reportedly made comments about the pain being just an excuse and demanded that the students do better.
After the incidents, the victim left the fraternity but was allegedly assaulted a third time by Vallejo when he tried to return his uniform the following month. Vallejo is facing charges of assault, strangulation, unlawful restraint, and disorderly conduct. He was able to post bail of $30,000 following his arrest. The hazing incident has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the prevalence of hazing within fraternity culture on college campuses.
