George Cantor, the father of former University student Courtney Cantor, filed a lawsuit in Washtenaw County Circuit Court against the Phi Delta Theta fraternity alleging the organization played a role in his daughter"s death.

Courtney died Oct. 16, 1998, after falling from her sixth floor Mary Markley Residence Hall window. She attended a Phi Delta Theta fraternity party the previous night.

The lawsuit charges the national fraternity and former fraternity members for buying and supplying alcohol to minors and serving the illegal date-rape drug Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid, otherwise known as GHB, to guests.

In his brief, Cantor contends both the national fraternity and local members were responsible for events that contributed to his daughter"s death.

"The National Fraternity knew or should have known that its agent and in-house representative, Erik Peterson, purposely left the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house and did not enforce the National Fraternity"s alcohol-free policy when fraternity sponsored social events were being held," the brief states.

Phi Delta Theta representatives could not be reached for comment. Cantor"s attorney, Dale Robinson, said Wednesday that the organization had not responded to the lawsuit.

Courtney"s autopsy revealed traces of GHB in her blood, but her blood alcohol level was below the legal limit for intoxication, leading her father to believe that the drug, which intensifies the effects of alcohol, caused her to fall out the window. Cantor said he believes the GHB was obtained at the fraternity house.

An investigation by the Ann Arbor Police Department could not determine whether Courtney took the drug voluntarily or whether the drug was slipped into her drink.

"How it got there or where it came from is something that will be determined during the course of the trial," Robinson said.

Cantor said he filed the lawsuit in order to "make it too expensive for fraternities to break their promises" to the University and their national chapters, referring to the alcohol-free policy the fraternity violated.

"What I hope to gain is a sense that something like this is never going to happen again," he said.

Cantor said he was not satisfied with the actions of the fraternity following the incident.

"They continued to manufacture phony credentials so they could buy liquor after my daughter died," he said.

The Washtenaw County Prosecutor"s Office charged 10 of the fraternity members with alcohol-related offenses, and the fraternity"s charter at the University was revoked for violating its no-alcohol policy. Phi Delta Theta hopes to have its charter at the University reinstated in the near future.

Cantor said the purpose of the lawsuit was not to stop the fraternity from coming back to campus.

"I rely on the University to make the best judgment," he said. "They"ve been lied to once."

Cantor sued the University for negligence last January, maintaining the University did not provide a safe living environment and had not warned his daughter about alcohol and drug use. Cantor received $100,000 after negotiations with the University.