Parents who lost children to college hazing spent 4,000 days fighting for federal law in new documentary
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.
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.
The DeVercellys told Fox News Digital that even though telling Gary Jr.'s story is painful, it is a price they willingly pay to protect other families and students.
"When I think of Gary, I can't help at first just think about his warm, gentle, and loving nature. You know, he had a smile that lit up the room," Julie DeVercelly said. "We miss him dearly."
"Early on, we agreed that we would do anything to help prevent other families having to go through what we've gone through," Gary DeVercelly added. "So tearing the wound open, constantly telling our story — we knew that that was going to be part of the package going in. And it was just a price that we were willing to pay."
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The couple hopes "4000 Days" will expose a wider audience to the tragedies families like theirs have suffered, as well as the uphill battle they've faced trying to pass a federal bill.
"I think the world is really going to have their eyes opened in ways that it's never been," Julie DeVercelly said. "And it's just the beginning."
Director Daniel E. Catullo III also spoke to Fox News Digital ahead of the film's premiere, noting that his involvement in college hazing projects happened by accident. A music documentary filmmaker for over 20 years, Catullo pivoted after a fraternity death occurred at his alma mater, West Virginia University (WVU).
After making an Emmy-winning documentary about the 2014 death of Nolan Burch at WVU, Catullo found himself thrust into a completely new role.
"All of a sudden, I became kind of the hazing guy," Catullo said, adding that other grieving parents quickly began reaching out to him for help.
As he began documenting their efforts, Catullo realized how much resistance the families faced.
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"I want to put a spotlight for parents on how broken the system is, because they were just fighting for something simple, transparency," Catullo said.
He credits the parents' perseverance for the eventual legislative victory, adding, "I think they realized these families weren't going anywhere. They were going to keep coming back."
Eric and Linda Oakes, whose son Adam died from hazing at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2021, and TJ and Kim Burch, whose son Nolan died in 2014, also tell their stories in the film. Both families have created foundations in remembrance of their sons to provide educational resources about the dangers of college hazing.
"I think people need to see what real heroes they are," Catullo said of the families in his documentary. "Because I don't know about you, but if my son or daughter died, I don't think I can go out and talk about it every day, and they live in that nightmare every day to help other people."
