Parents of a University of Texas freshman are fighting back against the fraternity culture that allegedly tortured their son to death, exposing the brutal reality of how elite institutions enable predatory hazing practices that destroy American families.
Systematic Torture Disguised as Brotherhood
Sawyer Lee Updike arrived at the University of Texas at Austin in fall 2023 as a promising freshman student with his whole life ahead of him. By January 2024, the 18-year-old was found dead in a convenience store parking lot after months of what his parents describe as systematic torture at the hands of Sigma Chi’s Alpha Nu chapter.
The lawsuit filed by parents Sheryl Roberts-Updike and Lee J. Updike details horrific abuse, including cigarette burns, being speared with fishhooks, hip piercings with staple guns, and forced cocaine use.
NEW: Parents of a Texas teen who k*lled himself after months of “demeaning and cruel hazing” sue the fraternity
Sawyer Lee Updike, 18, was allegedly “speared with a fishhook” and had his hip pierced with a staple gun during an alcohol-fueled event, according to a lawsuit filed… pic.twitter.com/zpzXkDtO1p
— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) November 23, 2025
Parents Expose Fraternity’s Criminal Enterprise
The grieving parents refuse to let their son’s death be swept under the rug like so many other hazing incidents across American campuses. Their legal filing reveals fraternity members threatened to sexually assault Sawyer’s girlfriend if he didn’t comply with their sadistic demands, showing this wasn’t just hazing but organized criminal behavior. The lawsuit describes the abuse as “systematic, relentless” and carried out with full knowledge of older fraternity members who “forcefully dominated over pledges.”
Final Night of Terror Leads to Tragedy
On January 16, 2024, just two weeks into the spring semester, Sawyer returned to the Sigma Chi house, where members forced him to consume cocaine and psilocybin mushrooms during what would be his final encounter with the fraternity. Already psychologically broken from months of abuse, the forced drug consumption sent him into a complete crisis. He staggered from the house intoxicated, drove to a nearby convenience store, and took his own life in the parking lot.
Fraternity Admits Guilt Through Actions
Sigma Chi International’s response to the tragedy speaks volumes about its knowledge of criminal behavior within its ranks. Following their own internal investigation, the fraternity permanently closed the UT Austin chapter and expelled multiple members, essentially admitting the credible nature of the abuse allegations. Executive Director Michael J. Church’s statement acknowledged “credible allegations of inappropriate behavior” while claiming the organization holds members to “highest possible standards” – a hollow promise given their failure to protect Sawyer when it mattered most.