MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — A Central Michigan University student faces a hazing charge for allegedly smearing peanut butter on the face of a classmate with a severe peanut allergy.
Twenty-year-old Dale Merza of Rochester Hills was charged with misdemeanor hazing resulting in physical injury.
Police say the 19-year-old victim suffered facial swelling that required medical treatment.
WDIV-TV reports the student’s mother posted a Facebook message saying her son was passed out in October at a fraternity house not recognized by CMU officials when peanut butter was rubbed on his face.
She wrote that he could have died if he had not received treatment.
Merza has pleaded not guilty to the hazing charge. His attorney, Bruce Leach, says he’s confident that his client will be found innocent once the facts come out in court.
