Leonard “Leo” Serrato was a senior at Fresno State in 2012 when he bought alcohol for a party with new members at his fraternity house.
That night, 18-year-old pledge Philip Dhanens died.
Serrato’s life changed in an instant. After serving a 90-day jail sentence, he dedicated his life to changing sorority and fraternity life culture and eradicating hazing.
Telling the story now, after nearly a decade, still brings tears to Serrato’s eyes.
“Philip’s death drives me every day,” he said. “My focus is accountability: holding our Greek communities accountable for their actions, but also holding myself accountable that they’re being educated properly.
“I wrote new member education based on my own research, because what I was taught was basically ‘Don’t hit anyone.’ And hazing is so ingrained in Greek systems across the country that it’s often not seen as hazing. Hazing is multifaceted, and it’s a continuum.”
Serrato’s passion for student safety aligns well with the core values of health and safety within the IU Bloomington Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life, where he will join the team as an assistant director this summer to support organizational conduct and the Sorority and Fraternity Life Judicial Board.