Adam Oakes
ASHBURN, Va. - The death of a Northern Virginia student will be featured in a powerful documentary about the push to change federal law.
What we know:
Families are set to gather Monday evening for a screening of the new film, which spotlights the fight against college hazing inspired by a teen who died of alcohol poisoning during a fraternity incident five years ago.
The film, "4000 Hours," will be shown at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at One Loudoun at 6 p.m. Monday.
The documentary follows three families, including one from Northern Virginia, as they help to get federal anti-hazing legislation passed.
The film’s name, "4000 Hours," refers to the amount of time it took the families of three young men who died during college fraternity hazing incidents to help get federal anti-hazing legislation passed in the U.S. One of those men was Adam Oakes, a 19-year-old college freshman from Loudoun County who suffered a fatal alcohol overdose during fraternity hazing at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond in February 2021.
READ MORE | VCU student from Loudoun Co. dies in off-campus fraternity house
"He had his whole future ahead of him, and he had no idea what was going to happen that night, and it's happening way too often," said Adam Oake’s father, Eric Oakes. "And Adam, as well as some of the others, are getting the notice, but there's tens of thousands that get hazed every year that go through the mental anguish."
Oakes’ death inspired his family to push for anti-hazing legislation in Virginia. Adam’s Law mandates anti-hazing education at all public and private Virginia colleges and universities, and requires them to report hazing incidents online.
"We're finding out that it's a lot of the alumni, they continue to bring back that old tradition, that old culture, and it's defeating all the work that we're doing," said Eric Oakes. "So, if they could actually be a more positive influence, it would make a huge change. The fraternities are the only organizations that I can think of that have been around for almost 200 years that haven't changed their ways."
READ MORE | VCU, victim's family reach settlement in hazing death
The federal Stop Campus Hazing Act was signed into law in 2024.
"It's not just Virginia that had a problem with hazing," said Sen. Jennifer Boysko. "This is something that has been prevailing in all colleges and universities around the country. It's time we put a stop to it. We don't need to lose any more students over bad behavior and, again, it's one of the most important bills I've ever carried, and I'm so proud to know the Oakes family and to see that they have used their pain and suffering to try to make things better for other students and families."
The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this summer. It’s being shown in cities and on college campuses across the country this week.
The screening comes on Hazing Awareness Week.
The Source: Information in this article is from original FOX 5 DC reporting.