A former University of Missouri fraternity member referred to in court documents as a “pledge dad” has been sentenced to six months in prison for a 2021 bullying incident that left another student with brain damage.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that Ryan Delanty was handcuffed at the Boone County Courthouse on Friday, May 24, and taken to jail after his sentencing.
Delanty previously pleaded guilty on May 10 to one count of misdemeanor battery and one count of serving alcohol to a minor, according to ABC affiliate KMIZ, in the case surrounding Danny Santulli’s Phi Gamma Delta fraternity pledge.
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On Oct. 20, 2021, Santulli, then 19, was hospitalized after he was harassed at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity’s “pledge reveal,” NBC affiliate KOMU reported. Santulli’s blood alcohol content at the time reached 0.486, six times the legal limit to drive a vehicle.
The incident left Santulli blind and also brain damaged, unable to speak, walk or respond.
In June 2022, Delanty and Thomas Andrew Shultz, both former members of Phi Gamma Delta, were indicted by a Missouri grand jury on felony counts of battery for their involvement in the incident. They also faced misdemeanor charges of supplying alcohol to a minor or an intoxicated person.
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According to police at the time, Delanty and Shultz were seen on security camera footage allegedly forcing Santulli to consume alcohol.
Shultz pleaded guilty in April 2023 to one misdemeanor count of furnishing alcohol to a minor or intoxicated person, according to CBS affiliate KRCG. He was sentenced to one year in prison.
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Following the bullying incident, the University of Missouri announced in May 2022 that it was closing the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and disciplined 13 students. The Associated Press reported that Santulli’s family filed a civil suit against the fraternity and 23 members, which was settled in 2022.
Stephanie Fortus, Delanty’s attorney, said of his client’s May 10 plea deal, according to the AP: “Ryan understands the seriousness of the situation and is pleased to have reached a settlement that avoids a trial.”
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Members of Santulli’s family were present at Delanty’s sentencing on May 24, and Santulli’s father, Tom, said, as reported Columbia Daily Tribune: “In the end, nobody had each other’s backs and that’s what a brotherhood is supposed to do.”
Santulli’s mother, Mary, also told the hearing that while her job as her son’s caregiver was rewarding, “I never imagined I would ever have it.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Delanty’s attorney, Fortus, and the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office for comment.
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Source: HIS Education