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Virginia Tech Student Sues Over Hazing Incident

Virginia Tech website

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — A former Virginia Tech student is suing the university after he was accused of overseeing a ceremony that violated the school's hazing policy.

Darrien Brown alleges the university denied him due process when administrators suspended him for two semesters for allegedly participating in a Corps of Cadets blood-pinning ceremony in October.

During the ceremony, the sharp ends of military pins are pushed into the chest. Brown's lawsuit describes the ceremony as "a Corps tradition.”  

Brown brought the lawsuit last week in federal court. Virginia Tech spokesman Mark Owczarski declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said the school stands by its policies and protocols.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.