Banned UConn fraternity: We have ‘no tolerance’ for hazing
The head of an international fraternity said the organization has “no tolerance” for hazing and plans to take its own action against members of a local chapter that has been banned from the University of Connecticut for a pledge event that led to one student hospitalized with alcohol poisoning.
Rob Caudill, executive director for The International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta, said the organization has “only recently been made aware of the details of the investigation.”
The incident occurred on Feb. 24 when a student participating in the pledge event was taken to the hospital after reaching “four times the legal limit of intoxication,” according to a letter obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media summarizing part of that investigation.
The letter stated the fraternity was permanently banned from campus. The organization has until 5 p.m. Wednesday to appeal that decision.
Caudill, who is based in Lexington, Ky., said the fraternity “has begun its disciplinary process to take our own action and hold the University of Connecticut Chapter accountable.”
“The university's decision to permanently expel Phi Gamma Delta is unfortunate, but we're committed to demonstrating that this violation is not indicative of who we are as an organization,” Caudill said.
University police and EMS services were not called to the event, UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said Tuesday. The student with alcohol poisoning was taken for medical treatment by other students, she said.
The UConn letter also states fraternity members tried to interfere with the school’s investigation into the incident.
Four of the violations of the student code cited in the letter as reasons for the ban involve lying to investigators, trying to influence someone to abuse the student conduct system or “tempting to discourage or retaliate” against a person involved in the disciplinary process.
Earlier this year, the university also banned Zeta Beta Tau for an incident that occurred in October 2019 when a student fell from a three-story window at a residence hall in the Northwest complex.
Two UConn students were hospitalized in that incident, one of whom was hurt in the fall, the other was in the room above who needed medical attention, university officials said at the time.
The fraternity was suspended following the incident and was permanently banned in April. The fraternity lost its appeal of that decision, Reitz said.