A 21-year-old former fraternity member at Towson University accused of hazing a student to the point of hospitalization has avoided going to trial.
Evan Francis was given probation on Monday, court records show. He and Alexander Cantor, also 21, were arrested in July on charges stemming from a March hazing at the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity house in Towson. According to police, the brothers made a 19-year-old victim exercise heavily, recite facts about TKE and consume “unknown substances,” causing him to fall ill and be hospitalized. His injuries matched the symptoms of someone who drank a “caustic substance,” police said.
One of the victim’s relatives told WJZ he was forced to eat cat food and drink something that made him vomit blood.
Authorities learned Francis was responsible for overseeing the pledges while Cantor also had some oversight. After the student became ill, Cantor allegedly told him not to seek medical attention or report his injuries.
Both were arrested on misdemeanor hazing and reckless endangerment charges. Francis’ bail was set at $35,000, while Cantor’s bond was $50,000. Both posted, but the pair were scheduled to go to trial until earlier this week. Cantor is still scheduled to appear before a judge on Dec. 12, according to court records.
Even with Francis out and facing no jail time, he won’t be engaging in any more hazing with his TKE brothers anytime soon. The national fraternity suspended the chapter for five years after the incident.
