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The University of Florida has suspended the Delta Chi fraternity for an alleged alcohol-related hazing incident that happened during the spring 2018 semester.
According to a statement from University of Florida spokesman Steve Orlando, Delta Chi has been under a “limited activity directive” since February.
Orlando stated that the university’s Greek Conduct Committee found the Delta Chi brothers “participated in a coordinated effort to cover up their actions and put a new member’s life in jeopardy, as he was hospitalized in critical condition.”
via The Gainsville Sun:
The university’s Dean of Students, Heather White, sent a letter to the president of the Florida chapter of the fraternity, informing the group of the suspension.
“The ruling from the Dean of Students is pending the appeal process,” Orlando wrote. “The chapter has 10 business days to appeal the ruling once a ruling letter is issued. The ruling is final, once the appeal process is complete.”
UF has 26 fraternities with more than 2,500 members and 17 sororities with more than 4,000 members. That’s about 12.5 percent of UF’s 52,000 students.
This is the latest major fraternity or sorority investigation, suspension or closure in the last year, as schools such as Indiana University, the University of Michigan, Ohio State University, Texas State, Florida State, Ball State, Louisiana State and Penn State have all suspended fraternities in the wake of hazing and alcohol deaths.
These reports come amidst similar allegations that have been made against fraternities nationwide, including Sigma Alpha Epsilon at East Carolina University, who was shut down for hazing and the Lambda Chi Alpha chapter at the University of Arkansas which has been accused of taking sexually explicit photographs of women without their permission.
In response to incidents like these, fraternities such Phi Kappa Psi have made numerous changes to their code of conduct in an effort to address the issues that have arisen. In addition, schools such as Texas State, West Virginia University, and Penn State University have introduced new Greek Life rules to try and prevent these problems.
