Family of Alexander Grant to sue students for $5 million

The family of Alexander Grant, the 19-year-old Boston College student who drowned in Putnam Creek last March, filed suit April 26 against nine men who allegedly supplied him with alcohol on the night of his death, according to The Saratogian.

The nine men, eight of whom are current students, are all named in the lawsuit. The Grant family is suing for $5 million, in addition to court costs.

Grant, while visiting his friend Matthew Perlow ’13 on the weekend of March 6, 2011, went to a party at 146 Church St., which he later left in a state of intoxication. According to The Saratogian, Grant walked down the tracks at the Saratoga Springs Train Station and a security camera later detected him breaking into a medical office building on Care Lane. His body was found the following Tuesday.

After an extensive investigation, police determined Grant had hypothermia and a blood-alcohol content of .16 percent.

Perlow is not mentioned in the lawsuit, although his four roommates—Jonathan Hoeg ’13, Bryan Connolly ’13, Matthew Diaco ’14 and Nicholas Yedibalian ’13—are, according to The Saratogian. Also mentioned are Brendan Flynn ’12, Ian Bain ’12, Charles Sullivan (who is not a student) and Brian Milazzo ’12, who allegedly hosted the party at 146 Church St.

In addition, the man who allegedly purchased the alcohol Grant drank in the dorm room, Seth Berger ’14, is included in the lawsuit.

 The lawsuit, according to The Saratogian, claims Grant told Perlow he was “unable to care for himself” and that Perlow assured him they would return to the dorm room after the party. The lawsuit further states that due to his own intoxication, Perlow did not see Grant leave 146 Church St.

The document states that everyone who supplied Perlow and Grant with alcohol knew they were underage, calling Grant’s death “wrongful.”

District Attorney James A. Murphy III and police said they will grant immunity for minor crimes to anyone with information about Grant’s death, according to The Saratogian. None of the occupants of the room will be charged with a criminal offense.

A statement from the Grant family is expected, according to The Saratogian.