Parents who spent over a decade fighting for justice following the tragic loss of their children in college hazing rituals are telling their story on the world stage in a new documentary.In "4000 Days," three grieving families share how they came together to draw attention to the dangers of hazing and push for legislative reform to protect other students and families from similar heartache."'4000 Days' is not only a story of loss — it's a testament to love, resilience, and the power of ordinary people to transform tragedy into lasting impact, ensuring no other family has to endure the same pain," the film's synopsis says.The title represents the number of days it took for the parents to get major legislation, the bipartisan Stop Campus Hazing Act, signed into law.VIRAL BODYCAM VIDEO SHOWS DOZENS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS BLINDFOLDED IN BASEMENT OVER ALLEGED HAZING INCIDENTA new documentary, "4000 Days," chronicles the tireless efforts of grieving families pushing for stronger federal anti-hazing legislation to protect students at universities nationwide.(iStock)The documentary will be making its world premiere at this year's Tribeca Film Festival on June 10 in New York City.Gary and Julie DeVercelly, one of the families featured in the film, have never stopped telling the story of their son, Gary Jr., who died while pledging a fraternity at Rider University in 2007.
Since his death, they have visited Capitol Hill countless times to push for federal hazing legislation.They've also fought for reform at the state level.In 2023, they backed California's AB 299, which would allow hazing victims' families to sue colleges and universities civilly if the institutions knew or "should have known" about dangerous hazing practices.
The bill was ultimately vetoed by Gov.Gavin Newsom, though a revamped version later passed.OHIO HS FACES FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT OVER HAZING, SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS FROM FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYERThe DeVercellys told Fox News Digital that even th...