Universities around the nation have dealt with fraternity hazing incidents with varying severity according to The Daily Campus research of the Associated Press archive. After analysis, most institutions have opened investigations or taken other action more rapidly than SMU has with the current allegations against Phi Gamma Delta.
It has been more than a month since university officials have been notified of the hazing incident, but university officials have only temporarily suspended the fraternity and no disciplinary actions have been taken.
It took Louisiana Tech University officials less than two months from the date of a hazing incident to suspend and hand out punishments to their Kappa Alpha chapter. A pledge came forward with allegations of water submersion, forced eating of various foods with smokeless tobacco and being spat upon by active members.
The allegations were made in mid-December 2004 and university officials suspended the fraternity and kicked the KA’s off campus on Feb. 2. The punishment also included monetary fines, community service and community education on the harmful effects of hazing. The KAs cannot fully function as a fraternity until spring 2006.
The University of Central Florida is cracking down on fraternity misconduct. The Pi Kappa Alpha chapter had its charter revoked by its national headquarters on Feb. 10 after the school suspended the fraternity for hazing allegations.
The PIKE’s were placed on probation in January after active members sent pledges on a photo scavenger hunt. That action violated the school’s code of conduct, which has a strict anti-hazing policy.
In early February, the parents of an ex-pledge came forward and said that their son’s suicide in late November 2004 was due to the pledgeship and forced drug use by the PIKE’s. That claim caused the university to open up a separate investigation into PIKE actions during the pledge process.
Both investigations led national officials of PIKE to sever its ties with the UCF chapter.
Members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Winthrop University in South Carolina are facing possible expulsion, or at the least reprimands and fines, for its role in a hazing incident.
According to a university report, pledges had to submit to “physical tests of endurance” — sleep deprivation, verbal abuse and various forms of mental tests and intimidation.
The pledge class came forward and notified university officials of the hazing in late November 2004. The university suspended the SAE’s from campus indefinitely and the national office revoked the fraternity’s charter earlier this month. The SAE’s cannot reapply for a new charter until 2008.
The Sigma Nu chapter at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette became the second fraternity this school year and the third since March 2004 to be suspended and kicked off campus.
The Sigma Nu’s have been banned until 2008 due to a water-hazing incident that occurred in mid December of 2004. Phi Kappa Theta was suspended in November 2004 and SAE was kicked off campus in March 2004 — both for violating university hazing rules regarding alcohol distribution and pledgeship.
