Judge allows part of Riley Strain lawsuit to continue
Madison Stuerman
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Boone County judge has ruled that a lawsuit against University of Missouri fraternity members can continue.
Judge Joshua Devine ruled on Thursday that the lawsuit filed by former student Riley Strain’s family can continue after the defendants argued to have their names dropped.
Devine granted the motion filed by Delta Chi Fraternity, Inc. to dismiss count three, vicarious liability, against the group.
The claims of Strain’s step-parents, Christopher Whiteid and Melissa Gilbert, were dismissed because they were not his natural or adoptive parents.
The wrongful death claims against the fraternity and bar are still active after the ruling, along with negligence claims against the bar and individual fraternity members.
Strain’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Delta Chi fraternity in March, claiming the fraternity did not follow safety protocols during a March 2024 fraternity “formal” event in Nashville that led to Strain’s death. The lawsuit also claimed Strain’s fraternity brothers did not accompany him back to the hotel when he was kicked out of a bar and didn’t check on him until later.
Since its filing, numerous defendants have requested that Devine remove them from the lawsuit. Attorneys agreed on dismissing nine fraternity members earlier this month.
Strain went missing on March 8, 2024, after being kicked out of Luke’s Bridge 32 bar on Broadway and 3rd Avenue just before 10 p.m. Police found his body in the Cumberland River on March 22, 2024. Strain’s death was ruled a drowning, with a toxicology report also finding alcohol and other substances in his system.