Shocking moment Texas State University student, 22, is left with brain damage in 'attack by members of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity who thought he belonged to a different social club'
This is the shocking moment a Texas State University student was left with brain damage after allegedly being attacked by Pi Kappa Phi fraternity members who 'thought he belonged to a different social club'.
Senior Nikolas Panagiotopoulos, 22, and a friend allege they were set upon by at least half a dozen members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity as they walked past one of the buildings belonging to their Eta Rho chapter on the night of October 27 this year.
A group of frat members fractured his skull and caused him brain damage after pummeling him outside the Pi Kappa Phi frat house, according to court documents filed in Travis County Court last week.
The reason for the enmity was said to be the mistaken belief the two men were members of a different social club.
Panagiotopoulos, who lived across the street from the frat house, tried to move away from the confrontation but the pack jumped on and assaulted the 22-year-old, according to his attorney, Sean McConnell.
Another attorney told ABC Austin affiliate KVUE that the mob left Panagiotopoulos unconscious after the vicious beating.
The senior, who was unable to finish his university coursework after the attack, spent months in hospital and was advised to skip Christmas with his family in New York due to his injuries.
He suffered brain damage, fractures to the skull, psychological trauma and emotional distress after the attack, according to his lawyers.
Panagiotopoulos is hoping to graduate in May 2020.
The $1 million lawsuit accuses the fraternity of failing to take responsibility for the unruliness of the mob outside the building.
They also allege that the organisation has a 'history of encouraging consumption and overconsumption of alcohol' and encourages 'rivalries with members of other fraternities and social clubs'.
It also alleges that they failed to diffuse the situation, failed to stop their aggression, and failed to monitor the fraternity.
'The attack was precipitated by a culture within the fraternity that encouraged drinking, bullying, and violence,' Panagiotopoulos's lawyer said in a statement.
The fraternity was suspended after the attack.
They declined to comment on an ongoing legal case.
