The Theta Chi fraternity will not face disciplinary action for the death of an 18-year-old man at its house on Saturday, administrators said.
Glen Parrish, whose body was found Saturday afternoon, was part of a group of people who slept over at the Theta Chi house on 663 Gayley Ave. this weekend, said Berky Nelson, director of the Center for Student Programming.
Nelson said that Parrish did not know any of the Theta Chi brothers personally and that he did not appear to consume any alcohol inside the house.
“It is our understanding that he drank not at the house, but at a party beforehand,” Nelson said. “He only arrived at the house around 1:45 a.m., so they were somewhere else before then.”
Police are still investigating the cause of death.
In a Los Angeles Times article published Wednesday, Parrish’s father, Glen Parrish Sr., told The Times the Theta Chi fraternity is at fault for his son’s death. Parrish told the L.A. Times the fraternity should have had people checking on his son during the night.
Nelson said, however, the Theta Chi brothers followed all proper procedures.
“The president was right there, doing what he was supposed to be doing,” Nelson said. “They tried to wake the boy up, and when they found no pulse, they immediately called 9-1-1.”
The fraternities do not have any established policies that require visitors to sign in or present identification, although such a policy may have helped in this situation, Nelson said.
“Maybe Theta Chi will look into this (type of policy), but it’s not anything that I’m going to mandate they do,” Nelson said.
Police said they believe Parrish consumed prescription drugs but are still waiting for toxicology reports. It will take eight weeks for the reports to return, said Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
The last reported case of a fraternity-related death occurred in 2008, when a member of Theta Chi drowned in the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center lap pool in an alcohol-related incident.