Kriti Mehrotra
It was shortly after midnight on September 9, 2002, when tragedy struck two families in California, turning their and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sigma Chapter’s entire world apart. That’s because, as explored in A&E’s ‘Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek: Drowning in Secrets,’ both Kristin High and Kenitha Saafir lost their lives on that fateful day. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the entire ordeal was accidental, but it is the belief of many that it could have been easily prevented if people had just been a little kinder and more human.
Kristin High and Kenitha Saafir Died in the Ocean at Night
While 22-year-old Kristin High was an aspiring criminal lawyer with a young boy and a loving fiance by her side at every step, 24-year-old photographer Kenitha Saafir was happily married. They were both students at Cal State at the time and hoping to build lifelong connections with like-minded people to kickstart the rest of their lives, unaware their efforts would ultimately be in vain. The latter was a senior by the time the fall of 2002 rolled around, while the former was a sophomore, and they wanted to join the Sigma Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority for a sense of sisterhood and belonging. This sorority was one of the nine Black Greek organizations at the time.
But alas, as Kristin and Kenitha’s journey towards becoming full members/sisters continued, so did the hazing – in fact, per some of their loved ones, all their tasks as a pledge were essentially hazing incidents. The former’s mother actually said her daughter was treated more like an assistant as well as a punching bag than a “little sister” to be taken care of. Whether it be laundry, dry cleaning, or other random chores, Kristin’s mother described she was apparently asked to do everything, all the while also being subject to having paint thrown at her, getting covered in mayonnaise, or being smacked around.
Things for Kenitha supposedly weren’t any better either, her loved ones believed she had to endure the same things. However, as September 2002 came around, both Kristin and Kenitha seemed to be in a better place since they were close to crossing the bridge to becoming full members. However, little did they know this would reportedly involve having to walk into the ocean in the middle of the night while essentially playing a game of Simon Says hosted by the “big sisters.” So, shortly after midnight, 4 girls walked into the ocean from Dockweiler Beach in the Los Angeles suburb of Playa Del Rey, but only two walked out – the strong currents took the lives of Kristin and Kenitha. As per reports, they drowned to their deaths.
Kristin High and Kenitha Saafir’s Families Argued the Claim of Accident
Considering Kristin High and Kenitha Saafir’s families were aware of their efforts to join Alpha Kappa Alpha, they knew the girls were forced to walk into the freezing ocean. After all, the latter didn’t even know how to swim, so they wondered why would she willingly walk into the water when she could see the currents and the tides were high — she wasn’t suicidal. The fact the former’s car couldn’t be found that night, only to be returned to her mother’s place the very next day by those associated with the sorority didn’t sit well with them either, especially since all of Kristin’s personal items related to the sorority were missing, including her journal. So, the families knew she had no choice but to hire a lawyer.
Kristin and Kenitha’s loved ones actually filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alpha Kappa Alpha, which resulted in there being an actual investigation into their untimely deaths. There were depositions, examined statements, as well as much more, at the end of which it came to light that the young women had indeed walked into the water to finally become members of the sorority. As for how their deaths came to be, it was Kenitha who lost her footing and went underwater first, only for Kristin to not even think twice before following in an attempt to save her – she couldn’t leave a sister behind, so she tried to help. Little did she know the water would make her lose control too, resulting in both of them passing away.
It turned out that this sorority’s chapter at Cal State had once already been suspended for hazing, so this pledging process they followed wasn’t even sanctioned and no criminal charges were filed against anyone. However, the chapter was still associated with the official organization even if it was removed from their website within days – there was a financial paper trail to prove it. Therefore, in 2004, Alpha Kappa Alpha settled with the families out of court for an undisclosed amount, shortly after which its Sigma chapter in California was formally disbanded for good. We should mention the amount has never been revealed, yet Kristin’s mother has since stated that it was enough to support her daughter’s son Skyler (now 26) for a while.
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