The court opinion said the university has “sufficient” control over its fraternities to establish a duty of care to members. This decision is in agreement with the Washington Court of Appeals’ ruling and means the university can be found liable for Martinez’s death. The Supreme Court said it expresses “no opinion as to whether WSU did or did not breach that duty.” In the Supreme Court, where WSU appealed the 2025 decision, the university argued the Court of Appeals’ decision contradicted the holding in the Barlow case. In the years leading up to the event, the university received several reports about alcohol hazing issues regarding the fraternity.