San Luis Obispo, CA -- The parents of a Cal Poly freshman who died while rushing Sigma Alpha Epsilon have reached a settlement with the national fraternity. Carson Starkey died in December 2008 after drinking too much alcohol at a Sigma Alpha Epsilon pledge event.

The Starkey family made a public statement:
"Our family filed suit against Sigma Alpha Epsilon and others to hold them accountable for the death of our beloved son, Carson, and to make changes in the fraternity system, university, and law that would protect other students and families. Our family feels it is our responsibility to keep other families from suffering the loss that we have. It has become our duty to help save lives.

During the lawsuit, we uncovered numerous longstanding, dangerous problems with the way fraternities operate on campuses across the country. These are problems that SAE and other fraternities have known about for decades. Such failures were a cause of Carson's death. In reaching a settlement with SAE, we have required that it make fundamental changes in the way it and its chapters operate, nationwide, particularly concerning hazing and the availability and misuse of alcohol. Parents and students will also be able to readily obtain timely, accurate information about potential problems and dangers in the fraternity before they decide to join. These changes are historic because, to our understanding, no other fraternity has ever agreed - voluntarily or in settlement of litigation - to make its operations safer in this manner. And, we would not have been able to compel such changes by proceeding to trial, as a jury could only have awarded us financial compensation. Our efforts to honor Carson's memory by protecting others have never been focused on personal financial compensation.

Because our case against the students who prevented Carson from being taken to the hospital, and then failed to get him the care he obviously required, is still proceeding to trial in September, 2011, we will not presently comment further on the settlement or disclose the specific terms of the settlement."