Prestigious US fraternity at Cornell University sued for $25 million

Sigma Alpha Epsilon, whose motto is 'The True Gentlemen', has received a lawsuit from the mother of George Desdunes, 19, who was found dead on a sofa at Cornell University, earlier this year.

The 155-year-old "frat", whose alumni range from William McKinley, the 25th US president, to Monty Python's Terry Gilliam, has now been banned from the Ivy League in upstate New York for five years.

Younger members of the group allegedly kidnapped Mr Desdunes during a "hazing" in February, before tying him up with duct tape and cable ties, and quizzing him about the fraternity's history.

Mr Desdunes, an aspiring doctor, is said to have been ordered to do exercises or down a shot of vodka if he got an answer wrong. Eventually he passed out from the alcohol, according to the lawsuit.

But rather than being taken to hospital, the second-year student was allegedly dumped on a sofa in the frat house library.

The 19-year-old was found by a housekeeper, who called an ambulance. He was declared dead at a nearby hospital, where it was discovered his blood-alcohol level was five times the legal driving limit.

A spokesman for SAE, which has more than 240 chapters at colleges and universities across the US, said it had strict rules against hazing and a "zero-tolerance policy" for those who do not comply.

"In addition, Sigma Alpha Epsilon sponsors an anonymous hazing hotline at 1-888-NOT-HAZE that anyone may use to report inappropriate behaviour," the spokesman said.

But the lawsuit alleges: "The kidnapping and ensuing events were part of a long-standing fraternity ritual that was authorised and encouraged by SAE chapter officers and members." It claims one member "tried to interfere with the crime scene by having the zip ties removed before police arrived".

The lawsuit also cites three other alcohol-related deaths of Sigma Alpha Epsilon members or would-be members in recent years.

The parents of one, Carson Starkey, said last month that they had settled a lawsuit against the fraternity following the death of their son at a California university in 2008.

In a statement, lawyers for Mr Desdunes's mother, Marie Lourdes André, described him as "a fine young man".

"George's death has incited Marie to join the fight against fraternities, their dangerous rituals, and their refusal to stop activities that have killed at least one student every year for the past 40 years," it said.

Miss André said: "With the death of my son, I find some comfort in knowing that this lawsuit may bring about changes in fraternities that will prevent other families from suffering as I have."

Tommy Bruce, a spokesman for Cornell, said in a statement that the university "neither condones nor tolerates hazing or the type of activities that we understand contributed to George's death."

WikiLeaks: Aoun Said I Am Not in Love with Hizbullah, Hariri Tried to Destroy Me

A leaked U.S. Embassy cable published exclusively in Al-Jumhuriyah newspaper on Thursday revealed that Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun was keen on preserving his good alliance with Hizbullah, while he feared any close ties with Syria and Iran.

The WikiLeaks cable dated November 3, 2006 reported on a meeting between Aoun, an Iranian parliamentary delegation, and MPs Abbas Hashem and Ibrahim Kanaan in Rabieh during which FPM leader said he cannot form any political axis with Iran.

He insisted that there was no commitment between the Free Patriotic Movement and Syria where "none of FPM members have the authority to visit Damascus."

Moreover, he said that Hizbullah is earning its independence from Syrian authority day after day where it will never become "a toy in the hands of Syria".

"I am not in love with Hizbullah but if we isolate it, its reaction will be hostile and the country can no longer support any clashes," Aoun reportedly said.

Commenting on then U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffery Feltman's statement that Hizbullah was exploiting Aoun, the latter said that March 14 forces have done worse.

"Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri tried to destroy me in Lebanon, Arab countries and the United States," MP said.

"Hariri tried to form a lobby group to block my visit to Saudi Arabia and worked on distorting my reputation in Washington", the MP stressed.

The leaked cable also revealed that Aoun hated the March 14 camp because it would never help him reach the presidency, unlike Hizbullah, Syria, and Iran that would assist him in pursuing his goal.