The lawsuit says an 18-year-old recruit endured beatings, burns and forced drug use before he died by suicide in 2024.
AUSTIN, TX — The parents of University of Texas at Austin freshman Sawyer Lee Updike have filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that months of hazing by members of the Sigma Chi fraternity led to their son’s suicide on Jan. 16, 2024, after he left campus and died in a gas station parking lot.
Filed in late November, the civil complaint names Sigma Chi International Fraternity, the shuttered UT chapter known as Alpha Nu and several individual members. It alleges Updike was subjected to “horrific” physical and psychological abuse during the fall 2023 pledge period, culminating in a breakdown days into the spring semester. The case arrives as universities and national fraternities face renewed scrutiny over hazing and accountability. UT officials previously halted the chapter’s activities and later closed it. The fraternity’s national office has not publicly detailed its internal review. No criminal charges have been announced.
The suit says Updike, 18, of Punta Gorda, Fla., joined the UT chapter in 2023 and soon reported bruises and unexplained injuries. In court filings, his family describes photos and messages recovered after his death that show burns on his chest, puncture wounds and heavy drinking during pledge events. The complaint alleges members used a staple gun on his hip, pressed lit cigarettes to his skin and “speared” his leg with a fishhook. It also states members threatened people close to him and forced recruits to consume large amounts of alcohol. “It was torture, not brotherhood,” his mother, Sheri Roberts Updike, said in a statement released by the family’s attorney, who called the conduct cruel and preventable.
According to the lawsuit, Updike appeared withdrawn when he returned home for winter break and had lost noticeable weight. The filing says he returned to Austin in January 2024 and, within days, was provided cocaine and psilocybin mushrooms at or near a fraternity gathering. Shortly afterward, the suit alleges, he drove off campus and died by suicide. The family’s attorney, Ted B. Lyon, said the drugs and sustained abuse triggered a “psychological crisis” in a young man who had no prior history of self-harm. UT records show hazing is prohibited by university policy and state law. Sigma Chi’s national office previously confirmed the UT chapter’s closure. What the chapter and individuals will argue in response is not yet known.
Public documents and university notices show UT issued discipline against the chapter following earlier misconduct, placing it on deferred suspension before the 2023 pledge term. The Alpha Nu group later attempted to continue social activity off campus after the official closure, according to the family’s complaint. Texas law classifies hazing as a misdemeanor or felony depending on injury, and requires schools to publish hazing reports. The lawsuit does not specify an exact dollar amount in damages but seeks a jury trial, economic and noneconomic damages and court oversight of records. The complaint lists alleged injuries with dates spanning the fall term, while acknowledging gaps in what outsiders can verify because many events occurred in private homes.
In the weeks after their son’s death, the parents say they found images and messages that alarmed them. The family’s filing cites pictures of bloodied legs and stapled skin and screenshots of pledge chats. A spokesperson for UT said the university cooperated with law enforcement and shared information with national fraternity officials. The complaint says the fraternity and some members ignored or mocked warnings about safety. “No parent should ever lose a child, certainly not because of hazing disguised as ‘brotherhood,’” Roberts Updike said. Lyon described the freshman as a 6-foot-6 athlete who had just made UT’s skeet shooting team. Friends told the family he was excited about schoolwork and new activities.
The civil case will proceed in state court. Lawyers expect preliminary responses from defendants this winter, followed by written discovery and depositions. If the court sets a schedule typical for Travis County, key motions could arrive in the spring, with a trial date possible late next year. The family also asked authorities to review whether any criminal violations occurred and whether evidence supports charges under Texas hazing statutes. UT will release its next mandated hazing report in the coming months. The fraternity’s national office could face internal sanctions or member expulsions, depending on the outcome of its ongoing review and what records are ordered into the court file.
On campus, students have left flowers near the Tower and at a memorial tree. A few fraternity leaders, speaking generally, said they are trying to reset social expectations and risk management. “This is a moment to look hard at what we allow and what we tolerate,” said a senior who knows members of multiple chapters. Outside the family home in Florida, neighbors described a polite teenager who loved fishing and sports. “He was kind and steady,” a former coach said. A UT professor who studies student organizations said hazing patterns persist when groups move events off campus and away from adult oversight, and that meaningful change usually follows documented consequences.
As of this week, the family’s lawsuit is filed and awaiting the first court deadlines. Defense responses are expected in the coming weeks. Any law enforcement updates would likely arrive after prosecutors review investigative files. The next public milestone is a case management setting the court could schedule early in the new year.
Author note: Last updated December 6, 2025.