Teen left paralysed following horrifying hazing incident where he was forced to drink deadly amount of alcohol
Kya Buller
Featured Image Credit: Good Morning America/Facebook/Danny Santulli
Danny Santulli, a former University of Missouri student, has been left blind, paralysed and wheelchair-bound after a hazing ritual.
Danny, a member of fraternity Phi Gamma Delta, ingested such large volumes of alcohol that he was rendered permanently blind and unable to speak or walk.
Danny has now been left with severe and permanent brain damage.
Stop Hazing describes hazing rituals as "any activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them, regardless of a person’s willingness to participate."
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It has been reported that Danny was instructed to drink a 1.75 litre bottle of vodka.
Following that, the lawsuit states he was forced to drink beer through a tube.
A fellow student who was a main driving force in Danny's hazing, Ryan P. Delanty, pled guilty over the tragedy that took place in 2021.
He now faces six months behind bars, as well as six months of house arrest, as part of a plea deal.
The sentence will be handed down on 24 May.
Stephanie Fortus, Ryan's lawyer, commented: "Ryan understands the gravity of the situation, and he's pleased to reach a resolution that avoided a trial."
Disturbing footage has shown that Danny, a freshman, had passed out as a result of the forced drinking, and was left half-hanging off a sofa and was turning blue.
It emerged that nobody called an ambulance for help until much later.
Eventually, members of the fraternity realised he was in a very serious situation and placed him in a vehicle that headed to the hospital.
Tragically, by the time Danny arrived, he had stopped breathing for a long enough time that resulted in his irreversible brain damage.
Danny's blood alcohol content was reported as 0.486 - a staggering six times the legal limit.
Danny now requires 24/7 care and lives back home with his family, who have stated his medical bills are upwards of $2 million (£1.58 million).
The lawsuit from Danny's family further reveals they launched a civil suit against the fraternity and all 23 members.
It was settled out of court in 2022 and the fraternity has since shut down.
The lawsuit also stated that "they [the fraternity members] wanted to make an unforgettable night for the pledges, and so supplied the house with 'cocaine, marijuana and alcohol', with pledges being called 'p*****s' if they didn't keep drinking the bottles of vodka strapped to their hands."
It has also been stated that Danny was sleep deprived, and left with no other choice but to buy things for the fraternity members with his own funds, and made to clean their rooms.
The lawsuit document added: "Making matters worse, during the pledging process, Danny had been ordered to climb inside of a trash can that had broken glass in it."
In more harrowing detail, it was revealed that Danny called his sister in floods of tears and expressed interest in wanting to leave the fraternity.
Another member of the fraternity, Thomas Shultz, pleaded guilty in April for supplying liquor to a minor.
He was then sentenced to 30 days behind bars, two years probation, hours of community service and also to complete a drug and alcohol education program.
Two further fraternity brothers, Samuel Gandhi and Alec Wetzler, pleaded guilty as well in 2023 after they were named in the lawsuit.
In one of the most chilling details of all, it was revealed that the boys involved in planning the hazing were already under caution as a result of a previous hazing incident.