Anti-hazing "Sam's Law" enacted in Washington
An update on our story from this past November about hazing. Sam Martinez, a 19-year-old freshman at Washington State University, died of acute alcohol poisoning while pledging the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
His parents, Hector Martinez and Jolayne Houtz told us the national fraternity hid the local chapter's hazing history and hindered the investigation of Sam's death.
"If we had known even a fraction of what we know now," Houtz said, "Sam never would've wanted to join that fraternity."
His parents began a campaign to toughen Washington's hazing laws and to disclose fraternities' disciplinary records.
"Sam's Law," was signed by Governor Jay Inslee on Wednesday.