Mom sues fraternity for son’s death after alleged hazing
By Kendall Brandt
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PUNTA GORDA, Florida (WBBH) — The family of Sawyer Updike, a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin who died by suicide in January 2024, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Sigma Chi fraternity’s national chapter and individual members, alleging abuse and hazing.
Sheri Roberts Updike, Sawyer’s mother, said she discovered disturbing photos on his phone after his death, showing her son burned, beaten, and forced to use drugs.
“I thought that would be a good way to meet people and build community, for him,” she said. “But that’s one of the things I never expected was the community of torture, not community of, I would say, real friendship and brotherhood. It’s definitely disguised as something else.”
She described finding photos of Sawyer burned with cigarettes, forced to use drugs, his body stapled with a gun, bruising all over his back and a large fishhook speared in his leg. “I got into his Snapchat, and it just kept getting worse. It sickened me. I had to stop for a while and quit looking,” she said.
The executive director of Sigma Chi International Fraternity wrote in a statement that the UT chapter was closed after learning about the allegations.
A spokesperson with the university said the group was placed on deferred suspension prior to the international organization revoking its charter.
However, the family is also suing the UT chapter, which they said reorganized under “Texas Alpha Nu.”
A screenshot which Roberts Updike gave Gulf Coast News shows a post made by the group on Instagram announcing the reorganization on July 3 with the caption “Same Brotherhood. New name.”
A university spokesperson said the new group was given a cease-and-desist order on Nov. 21. That order came one day after the lawsuit was filed in Travis County, Texas. A university spokesperson noted the organization is a registered student organization but not a part of their Interfraternity Council. The house corporation president for the group never got back to Gulf Coast News for comment.
Sawyer’s mother and her attorney believe the fraternity had a duty to keep Sawyer and other members safe. “The only time that the law changes is when a family of a kid that dies from hazing goes and does something about it. We want something to change,” she said.
Roberts Updike has started a high school scholarship to reward students who speak out and stand up.
Below is Sigma Chi International’s full statement:
“Sigma Chi International Fraternity was devastated by the tragic death of our brother, Sawyer Lee Updike, at the University of Texas in January 2024. In the months that followed, credible allegations of inappropriate behavior from members in that chapter emerged, prompting a thorough investigation by Sigma Chi International Fraternity that resulted in the closure of this chapter and the expulsion of several members of the organization.
“For Sigma Chi, our central principles call us to hold each other to the highest possible standards and to care especially for our brothers. Any individual who fails to do so betrays not only himself but also his brothers and the values we hold sacred.
“As these matters proceed through the court system, we will expect and encourage that any individuals who are found responsible for any of the actions described in it will face the fullest consequences that our justice system demands.”
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