The second of eight U.S. soldiers court-martialed in the death of Army Private Danny Chen has reached a plea deal that will see him discharged and spend six months behind bars. A 19-year-old Chinese American, Chen allegedly took his own life just weeks after he was deployed to Afghanistan last October. His family says Chen had been abused by comrades on an almost daily basis including racist hazing, with soldiers throwing rocks at him, calling him ethnic slurs and forcing him to do push-ups or hang upside down with his mouth full of water. On Tuesday, Specialist Ryan Offutt pleaded guilty to maltreatment and hazing in return for evading the more serious charges of negligent homicide. He was sentenced to six months confinement and will be discharged from the military for bad conduct. Reacting to the sentence, Elizabeth OuYang of the civil rights group OCA-New York said Offutt’s punishment could send a message to prevent future hazing.

Elizabeth OuYang: “This sentence will not bring back Danny Chen. Danny’s life was cut short at age 19. But what this sentence and verdict can do is send a loud message to superiors that they will be punished and punished severely, including discharge from the military, if they engage in similar types of misconduct.”