The parents of a former Notre Dame student who suffered injuries from a fall during an on-campus party are now suing the university.
The parents of Sean Tennant accused the university of condoning a “quasi-fraternity atmosphere” in the on-campus residence halls, according to a report published Tuesday by the Chicago Tribune.
Notre Dame University put their son at risk by condoning a “quasi-fraternity atmosphere” in an on-campus residence hall, the parents of a former freshman who was severely injured during a party allege in a lawsuit. https://t.co/73qfJ37CgP
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) July 22, 2020
Tennant was beginning the second semester of his freshman year in January of 2019 at Notre Dame when he fell roughly 30 feet from a second-story stairwell to a basement floor in Sorin Hall.
Tennant, who was 18 at the time, suffered a traumatic brain injury that resulted in “a catastrophic decline in neurocognitive and functional abilities,” the lawsuit filed by attorneys Peter Flowers and Robert Dassow claimed. (RELATED: Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick Advocates For Starting Football Later, Doesn’t Think 12 Games Will Happen)
Tennant’s family’s lawyers accused the university of “negligence” due to the alleged absence of the adult rector at the residence hall the night of the party.
Sorin Hall, named for ND’s founder, was the first res. hall, previously students lived and studied in Main. #NDHome pic.twitter.com/pzpuWXBy3O
— Notre Dame Residential Life (@NDResLife) June 29, 2015
“Despite knowing about a party, he failed to take reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of the student-residents under his care, custody, control, and supervision,” the lawsuit said.
“This is a kid who never drank in high school‚” Flowers said in the lawsuit, the Chicago Tribune reported. “(Tennant) was introduced to alcohol at Notre Dame. They encourage the kids to act like the dorms are fraternities, where you’ve got kids of legal age mixed in with underage kids and inadequate policies and procedures in place, creating an unreasonably dangerous environment.”
Since 2017, students have been required to live on the Notre Dame campus for their first three years at the campus, according to the South Bend Tribune. Alcohol is not prohibited on campus for students under the legal drinking age, but students of age are allowed to have alcohol in their dorm rooms, the Chicago Tribune reported.