A student of Massachusetts University was convicted for randomly punching his fellow students and is now placing the blame on Endicott College for being lax in enforcing underage drinking laws.
Dillon DeStefano, 22, of River Vale, filed a lawsuit against private college in Beverly, Mass., and president Richard Wylie, New York Post reported. According to DeStefano, it was because of the school's implicit approval of underage drinking on campus that he became overly drunk that he lost control of himself and lost the capacity to conform his actions to the requirements of the law.
The lawsuit was filed February 1 by Salem attorney Stephen Lovely, three years to the day after DeStefano's crimes occurred at the college without provocation, according to Salem News.
DeStefano, who is now 22, pleaded guilty in 2014 after randomly punching his fellow students one night in the campus which left one with a broken and dislocated jaw, another student with a broken orbital bone and sinus and another one with a spit lip.
During his sentencing hearing, DeStefano blamed the alcohol he had consumed that night at a party on campus as well as the performance-enhancing drugs he was taking. His sentence was a total of four years in jail on assault and battery, and witness intimidation charges, but he was paroled last year and returned to New Jersey.
Before the attacks, DeStefano had a record of being "quiet, peaceful, sociable and caring individual." But the police officials were not able to intervene after DeStefano and other students had heavy drinking at the dorm parties.
The suit seeks damages for the loss of DeStefano's reputation. DeStefano's attorney, Endicott College and Wylie had not been served with the complaint and they also refused to give any comment.
