A former member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets is suing the university after he was suspended for two semesters for his role in a “blood-pinning” ritual with younger members of his company this October.
Darrien Brown, a senior at Virginia Tech majoring in business management, was suspended from the university through the fall semester after an anonymous participant filed a hazing complaint over a blood-pinning ceremony, which involves placing a unit pin on a person’s chest and pushing it in to puncture the skin.
Brown’s attorney, Rob Dean, wrote in a lawsuit filed in federal court on Jan. 30 that the ceremony was “entirely voluntary.” The lawsuit asks that the court lift Brown’s suspension and permit him to graduate and commission into the Army as an officer in May. If Brown is not allowed to graduate, the lawsuit claims he will be forced to repay seven semesters of military scholarship.
Dean declined to comment beyond the content of court records filed in the Western District Court of Virginia.
Mark Owczarski, the assistant vice president for university relations, said in a statement that the university is prohibited by law from commenting on specific conduct cases.
“However, I will say the university stands behind its policies and procedures, including those that define our student conduct process,” Owczarski told Army Times. “We believe when all sides of an issue are ultimately heard, our procedures and outcomes will be upheld."
The Oct. 18 incident was held by the Corps of Cadets’ Bravo Company and had been approved by Brown’s superior, Cadet Commander Nelson Demarest, according to the lawsuit. It involved 21 juniors and seniors leading the event and about 20 sophomores participating.
The event had been a yearly tradition to integrate sophomore members of the company, fostering camaraderie among the cadets, the lawsuit said. But it remained entirely voluntary, the document noted. Anyone who was a member of the company before the event would continue to be in good standing regardless of whether they participated or not, the lawsuit reads.
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The event began at Caldwell Fields campground near campus. Participants first conducted “a variety of exercises” before starting a hike, stopping at various points on the way.
The lawsuit claims that Brown’s role in the event was relegated to driving his vehicle alongside the group during the hike to “provide water and make sure everyone was staying safe during the event.”
When participants became too tired, Brown informed them that it was okay to drop out of the hike if they did not wish to continue, the document said. When the hike was over, the cohort made a bonfire and one of the platoon leaders gave a speech.
Following the speech, the cadets held a ceremony where members were blood-pinned to recognize their participation.
“Absolutely no drugs or alcohol were involved,” the lawsuit reads. “As far as Mr. Brown was concerned, no one was injured during the event, and it was performed just as it has been for many years.”
An unidentified participant later alleged that the event constituted hazing, focusing specifically on the blood-pinning ceremony. Following an investigation, Brown was forced to appear at before the Virginia Tech Office of Student Conduct for a hearing on the complaint on Dec. 9.
The hearing officer reviewed the report and heard testimony from Brown but not the accuser or any witnesses against him, which became a key complaint in the former cadet’s lawsuit. Brown was found responsible for violating the Virginia Tech hazing policy and was suspended for two semesters.
He appealed the university’s findings but on Jan. 10, an administrator rejected the appeal, according to the lawsuit.
“Confronting your accuser is not a procedural guarantee in the student conduct process,” said Frances Keene, the Virginia Tech assistant vice president of student affairs.
Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.
