September 14, 2018, marks one year since the death of LSU student Max Gruver. On this difficult anniversary, Gruver’s parents reflect on his life and look to the future at what his legacy could do in the fight against hazing across the country.
Rae Ann Gruver was the first to receive the phone call that would forever change their lives.
“I was at work. I was about to leave for lunch, and my phone rang and it was a Baton Rouge number,” said Rae Ann. “I just answered it, and it ended up being the hospital.”
Rae Ann called her husband, Stephen, and told him to come home immediately. When he arrived home, that is when she told him the news.
“I had a feeling something was really wrong from the way I was told to come hold immediately, but I didn’t expect that,” said Stephen.
The tides turned in the mindsets of the entire family the moment Rae Ann found Max’s journal, in which he filled with messages about blessings.
“At the end, he wrote that God works in funny ways…He does bad things to ultimately create good,” said Stephen.
This message sparked a fire, and both Rae Ann and Stephen knew they had an opportunity to make a change. They looked at this as a sign that Max wanted them to do something positive.
“Max’s life was completely 100 percent worth it, and he did not deserve this and it should not have happened,” said Rae Ann.
With Max’s inspiration as their motivation, the Gruvers travel around the country to universities, Greek life in those universities and high schools. They are also taking their proposals that the Louisiana Legislature passed in the form of the Max Gruver Act to other states like their own state of Georgia.
“We have met a lot of people who have talked about hazing, and that they got hazed,” said Rae Ann. “They always remember the person who hazed them. They can’t remember 90 percent of who they went to college with and who was in their fraternity in college, but you know who they do remember? The person that hazed them, and they still resent them 20 years later.”
The Gruvers will continue to spread their story and the legacy Max left behind across the nation. One singular message Rae Ann leaves with every single group is:
“If you see something, say something.”
Max Gruver’s parents 1 year later – Raw Interview (minimally edited)
September 13, 2018
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