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JMU Hazing Lawsuit
TFNLG Lawsuit Asserts Hazing, Drugs Caused Car Wreck That Killed 3 James Madison University Students
Case Result · Hazing
Joshua Mardis Hazing Death
Litigation ongoing
James Madison University · Harrisonburg, VA
Last updated August 13, 2026
Mardis, Estate of Joshua Daniel vs. Cross Keys Society, Inc., Pi Beta Chi Fraternity, PBX Property Management, and Individual Defendants
Case Details
Who: Joshua Daniel Mardis was a college sophomore and participant in a fraternity rush event.
What Happened: On February 2, 2023, Joshua Mardis participated in a fraternity rush event that allegedly involved forced consumption of alcohol and exposure to mind-altering substances as part of an unsanctioned hazing ritual. After being rendered unconscious, Joshua and others were placed into a vehicle driven by an impaired fraternity member. The vehicle crossed the center line and struck a tree at high speed. Joshua Mardis and two other passengers were killed in the collision.
The Estate of Joshua Daniel Mardis filed a wrongful death lawsuit asserting that hazing-related conduct, alcohol and drug use, and negligence were proximate causes of the fatal crash and resulting deaths. The case is still ongoing.
In the Media
The wrongful-death lawsuit and the events behind it, as covered by Virginia media.
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