Update: Treetops Resort now reports $430,000 in damages
Sorry to poke a finger in a black eye, but this story just gets worse. If you don't want to reiterate, move along.
I can only imagine the pressure inside this frat and the finger pointing, the divergent needs to cover one's own ass and rat out a fellow "brother" versus the wish to circle the wagons. The stereotype says that these kids have a "rich parents" who can easily dole out the money and get their kids off the hook. I'm not so sure about that. And anyway, this is some serious coin we are talking about.
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2015/02/treetops_resorts_…
The only "brand" they damaged was that of the University, their fraternity, and their families. But of course the resort is padding the numbers, just like every plaintiff in a civil suit seeking damages case ever has. I say pound these losers for every penny, whether theirs or their parents'. Welcome to grown-up world, kids. Time to pay the piper.
This is the story that keeps on giving. I do believe that investigators are being very thorough in their questions, one by one, of all the Sammies and SDT's who were actually there. Once they have done that, they can start cross referencing what each person said, and go back for second and third rounds of questions. I'd be interested to know if the investigation has come up with anyone who shared photos or vids from cell phones and cameras. Can you imagine what would happen once some of the actual perps are confronted with vids of themselves in the act of destroying property?
I think that there are very significant screws that can be applied, and bargaining chips that are out there. If the University offers non-expulsion clauses to students willing to fess up, some will turn and provide evidence against fellow fraternity brothers. Same thing with criminal charges. Same thing with financial penalties. I am not a lawyer, but I can imagine that that in a local jurisdiction, if punitive penalties could possibly be assessed, this could also change the tune of some who have so far remained silent.