Image source: (BET/Family photo)

BY JENNIFER MECKLES

George Desdunes was a young man with a bright future.
First generation American, studying medicine at the prestigious Cornell University.
Dreams... crushed -- after a hazing ritual in his fraternity house spun out of control and led to his death.
ABC reports:

“He was taken by pledges, his wrists and ankles were bound with zip-ties and duct tape, and was compelled to drink. It was part of an SAE ritual on the Cornell campus that ended early one morning with the 19-year-old’s death. His blood alcohol was 5 times the legal driving limit.”

SAE -- or Sigma Alpha Epsilon -- is now facing a $25 million lawsuit filed by Desdunes mother.
As the New York Times reports, Cornell University already took action:

“Cornell withdrew recognition of the fraternity; its members had to leave the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house. The chapter was suspended by the fraternity’s national headquarters.”

Those same national reps say hazing is strictly prohibited in all their chapters. The lawyer representing Desdunes’ mother explains -- when you put teenagers in charge of policing those rules, they are rarely followed:

WILLIAM FRIEDLANDER: “SAE has implementation of their active anti-hazing policy... the implementation is done by 18 and 19 year-old members. And in order for the policy to be implemented, they rely on the 18 and 19 year-old members and that’s something that we’re trying to change with this lawsuit.” (Video: NBC)

Friedlander and his co-counsel have prosecuted more than 15 hazing cases -- most of them involved drinking-realted deaths.
A writer for the Stir agrees with his mission -- calling for college chapters to step up and take responsibility... now.

“... there are plenty of ‘zero-tolerance’ rules about hazing, but yet it seems that every few months, we hear about another hazing-related death... Maybe they're not painting a clear enough picture about the reality of alcohol-related deaths, and how they can ruin the lives of those involved.”

In May, four members of the fraternity were charged with misdemeanors in connection with Desdunes death.

Transcript by Newsy.