Florida fraternity brother with brain damage from hazing sends lifesaving warning to future Greeks

A Florida judge last week sentenced a former Florida college student to 30 days in prison and a year of probation after he punched his peer during a fraternity hazing incident in 2018.

Oliver Walker, 26, was charged with culpable negligence inflicting harm after he sucker punched fraternity pledge Nicholas Mauricio during a tradition called "Scumbag of the Week" organized by members of FSU's since-dissolved Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter, according to a lawsuit previously filed against the fraternity.

"Not only am I lucky to be alive, but I’m lucky to … be in a good condition upstairs," Mauricio told Fox News Digital. "It’s taken a lot of hard work and a lot of struggling and a lot of low points."

He said the "hardest part about" his brain injury "is that it’s not a visible injury like a broken arm or a torn ACL that takes physical rehab." It can be difficult for his friends and family to understand that he was severely injured and has been fighting every day since the "Scumbag of the Week" incident.

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Oliver Walker, 26, was charged with culpable negligence inflicting harm after he sucker punched fellow student Nicholas Mauricio during a fraternity tradition called "Scumbag of the Week" organized by members of FSU's since-dissolved Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter. (John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Mauricio, who was 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds at the time of the punch, fell and hit his head after Walker's punch and has spent the last six years recovering from a debilitating brain injury that included two different hematomas and frontal lobe damage.

The incident came just months after FSU student Andrew Coffey died of alcohol poisoning after his fraternity brothers did not immediately call for help.

The longstanding "Scumbag of the Week" tradition required members to select a pledge to be punched in the face in front of the entire fraternity, according to the lawsuit.

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Nicholas Mauricio poses with his fraternity "big brother" and "grand big brother" during a pledge night in 2018. (Nicholas Mauricio)

"It's affecting my whole family," Mauricio said, adding that they "like the word survivor because it’s an extension of being a victim, but you were able to persevere."

His mother, Michelle Mauricio, told Fox News Digital waiting six years to get justice has been "atrocious."

"I’m still so emotionally exhausted. … I’m just tired of fighting a battle we’re never going to win."

— Michelle Mauricio, Nicholas' mother

"The stories keep going out, and every year another student is injured or dies," Michelle said. "This is friends hurting friends."

Nicholas Mauricio (center) poses with his two fraternity pledge brothers in 2018. (Nicholas Mauricio )

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David Bianchi, a renowned hazing attorney who represented Mauricio in both cases, told Fox News Digital he is glad the Mauricio family is finally seeing a resolution to the criminal case.

"Most people would be amazed at the number of fraternity hazing incidents that happen every year in the United States, and that's despite the fact that almost every state has an anti-hazing law, every major university has an anti-hazing policy and every major fraternity and sorority has an anti-hazing policy," Bianchi said. 

"These incidents are happening all the time throughout the United States, and the message isn't getting through to the guys that do these things."

Nicholas Mauricio's mother told Fox News Digital waiting six years to get justice has been "atrocious." (Nicholas Mauricio)

Bianchi added that "perhaps jail time" will show fraternity members that if they put pledges or existing members into situations where they can be seriously injured or die, suspension, expulsion and even jail time are plausible consequences. 

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Mauricio wants other college-aged men who are considering joining a fraternity to speak up if they are exposed to any kind of physical harm or alcohol if they are underage.

"You can tell them no, and you should tell them no."

— Nicholas Mauricio

"At the end of the day, even though it may seem like they have all the power, you have more power than them. You can tell them no, and you should tell them no," Mauricio said. "We should all be leaders more than we should be followers. You’ll be able to prevent something bad from happening to you and keep your dignity intact."

Nicholas Mauricio received a football scholarship in high school. (Nicholas Mauricio)

Mauricio added that universities also have "a lot of skin in this game," rather than just Greek organizations and their members. He and his mother are hoping their story educates other college students and fraternity members about the potential dangers of hazing.

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Mauricio hopes to be an advocate for college hazing and others who suffer from brain damage.

Attorney Gannon Coens of Bodiford Law, which represented Walker, declined to comment at the time of publication.