'No winners here today': Final two defendants sentenced in hazing death of FSU's Andrew Coffey (2024)

The final two defendants accused of hazing Florida State fraternity pledge Andrew Coffey were sentenced Thursday more than three years after he died at an off-campus party.

Luke Kluttz and Anthony Petagine were sentenced to 60 days in jail, are required to take a hazing awareness course and to make a video taking responsibility for their actions. They both entered no contest pleas last month on one count of felony hazing and one count of misdemeanor hazing.

As part of their plea agreements with the 2nd Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, if the men complete all aspects of their sentences, they would not be considered “convicted felons.”

'No winners here today': Final two defendants sentenced in hazing death of FSU's Andrew Coffey (1)

In a statement to the Tallahassee Democrat, Sandra Coffey,Coffey’s mother, said “there are no winners here today ...Our son Andrew senselessly died because he was hazed.

"We have lost him forever and we will live with that pain every day for the rest of our lives. What happened to Andrew didn’t affect just a few. It affected many.”

The back story:

  • Investigators: Fraternity members coerced Coffey, pledges to drink
  • Grand jury report into death of Andrew Coffey skewers FSU's fraternity culture
  • Thrasher: Charges 'first step in seeking justice' after pledge's death

Kluttz and Petagine, the former president of the fraternity, were among nine men in FSU’s Pi Kappa Phi fraternity who were charged and faced jail time. Others previously agreed to varying plea agreements.

Sandra Coffey said that should send a message. She thanked State Attorney Jack Campbell, Tallahassee Police investigator Dan Copelin and outgoing FSUPresident John Thrasher for seeking justice for her son and working to change campus culture.

“It should be like this in every state across the country,” she said. “No more turning a blind eye. No hoping it won’t happen again. No second chances.Hazing is a crime and if going to jail makes it stop, then so be it.”

'No winners here today': Final two defendants sentenced in hazing death of FSU's Andrew Coffey (2)

Coffey died after a fraternity initiation party in Tallahassee

Andrew Coffey, a 20-year-old from Pompano Beach, died after a Nov. 3, 2017 fraternity party celebrating initiation into the Pi Kappa Phi organization.

Investigators say he was coerced into drinking a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 bourbon, which was given to him by his big brother,who had bought it with a fake ID. He laterdied of alcohol poisoning.

His death prompted a push by law enforcement and university administrators toward changing Greek life culture on campus and a lengthy suspension of student organizations as a whole.

A Leon County grand jury report following the incident skewered fraternity culture at FSU and the lengths members went to obstruct investigations into possible misdeeds.

Pi Kappa Phi was dismissed from campus for 7 years, ending in 2024.Even after Coffey’s death, allegations of hazing within organizations at the university continued.

From 2018:FSU Alpha Epsilon Pi frat member was hurt in 'scumbag of the week' game

From 2019:Arrest report: Delta Tau Delta pledges subjected to ritualistic hazing, ridicule, physical abuse

More:

  • Phi Kappa Tau fraternity at FSU shut down; Kappa Sigma becomes fourth frat suspended
  • Gov. DeSantis signs 'Andrew's Law', enacting tougher hazing measures
  • Appeals court reinstates felony hazing charges in Andrew Coffey death

In June 2019, Andrew’s Law was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. It expanded Florida’s broad hazing law and closed loopholes exposed by the Coffey case.

The case went all the way to the Florida Supreme Court as attorneys debated whether the men could be charged with felony hazing, based on the facts that led to charges, under state law.

The high court eventually declined to take up an appeal by Petagine, Kluttz and Anthony Oppenheimer, also charged in Coffey's death.

In February 2018, Coffey’s family filed a 15-count civil lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi’s national office, the FSU chapter’s advisers and the nine men facing criminal charges. It was closed in 2019 after settlements between the parties.

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter.

Full statement by Sandra Coffey as sent to the Tallahassee Democrat

“There are no winners here today.”

Our son Andrew senselessly died because he was hazed. We have lost him forever and we will live with that pain everyday for the rest of our lives.

What happened to Andrew didn’t affect just a few...it affected many.

As of today, the nine young men who chose to be a part of this meaningless hazing tradition will have gone to jail. They have lost as well.

So the message should be pretty clear, if you haze in the State of Florida you will go to jail...PERIOD. We don’t know of any other hazing case where all of the defendants will have served jail time.

It should be like this in every state across the country. No more turning a blind eye. No hoping it won’t happen again. No second chances.Hazing is a crime and if going to jail makes it stop then so be it.

For over 3 1/2 years we have been surrounded by the most incrediblepeople who have dedicated themselves to seeking “Justice for Andrew” and our family.

State Attorney Jack Campbell and everyone in his office have devoted endless hours to making sure the people responsible for Andrew’s death were held accountable.

Investigator Dan Copelin and the Tallahassee police department who worked tirelessly from day one to find out what happened to our son.

And FSU and President Thrasher for having the courage to stand up and shut down Greek Life within days of Andrew’s death.

We thank you all.

Although we can now close this horrible chapter in our lives, our hearts will continue to ache and we will forever miss our beautiful son.

No one should ever lose a child because of hazing.

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'No winners here today': Final two defendants sentenced in hazing death of FSU's Andrew Coffey (2024)
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