RICHMOND, Va. — Eric Oakes, the father of Adam Oakes, who died from acute alcohol poisoning during a hazing incident at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2021, spoke to CBS 6 after a federal anti-hazing bill in memory of his son was signed into law.
The family’s grief remains profound more than three years after their son’s tragic death. He was 19 years old.
Courtney White“The last three years have been brutal because Adam was our only child and he was such a good kid. He never hurt anyone,” Eric Oakes said.
On Christmas Eve, President Joe Biden signed a federal anti-hazing bill called the “Stop Campus Hazing Act” which requires colleges and universities participating in federal student aid programs to report hazing incidents and develop prevention programs.
“Imagine how many lives could have been saved had it been signed sooner,” Eric Oakes said. “Everybody is sick and tired of what’s happening and it’s gotten out of control, and I don’t think the universities and the fraternities know how to reel it in, so having the federal bill is important.”