UA fraternity is barred from campus after party

A fraternity at the University of Arizona lost university recognition Friday after an investigation found multiple violations of the student code of conduct. It isthe second fraternity to be shut down on the Tucson campus in the past four weeks.

Kappa Sigma was shut down and has to stop all activity on campus immediately, according to a press release from the university. The fraternity’s national office can ask the school to reinstate the chapter in May 2023, if no current members are involved.

The university said withdrawing recognition happens when the school decides the organization represents “a substantial health and safety risk to the members of the university community.”

Because of the lost recognition, the fraternity will no longer be a recognized student organization at the university, the school said. That means the fraternity can’t participate in university-sponsored events or use university facilities or resources.

Kappa Sigma headquarters did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It’s not clear how many members the fraternity had at UA.

Kappa Sigma is the second fraternity at UA to lose its recognition in recent weeks. Sigma Alpha Epsilon lost its recognition in late June when the fraternity’s national office suspended the chapter after an investigation into health and safety issues.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon did not say what the issues were, and UA praised the fraternity for policing its own actions.

Four other UA fraternities have lost their recognition over the past several years. Two fraternities are currently being investigated by the university.

The investigation into Kappa Sigma stemmed from an incident on April 10, a letter from the university to the fraternity president shows.

The UA Dean of Students Office conducted the investigation and concluded that the fraternity held an event with alcohol while under a prohibition on alcohol from a previous incident in 2017.

Fraternity members assaulted people hired to provide event security, the university said. It also created a “slush fund” to hide activities from the school, the university said.

“This behavior is unfortunate, dangerous and not reflective of the university’s values,” Kendal Washington White, UA dean of students, said in the press release.

The behavior violated provisions of the Arizona Board of Regents’ student code of conduct on endangering or causing harm to members of the university community, violating disciplinary sanctions, alcohol and failing to comply with university officials.

Fraternities and sororities at UA are allowed to host events with alcohol, but must comply with the school’s policy on such events and register them ahead of time with the school.

On its website, Kappa Sigma says it is the “largest college social fraternity in the world” and counts more than 20,000 undergraduates and 320 chapters in the U.S. and Canada.

There are 29 fraternities at the UA, nine of which are identity and culturalbased fraternities.

On April 10, Kappa Sigma held a party with the Delta Gamma sorority, the UA letter to the fraternity said. The party was supposed to be alcohol-free, but Kappa Sigma members arrived intoxicated, and security guards saw alcohol at the fraternity upon arrival.

Security asked members to take any alcohol to their rooms because the event was supposed to be dry.

“Security guards were allegedly met with resistance,” the UA letter said. “A female guard was subject to a physical altercation while trying to get the alcohol out of the common area.”

At one point, a current member and an expelled member of the fraternity came into the party with vodka. The security guard took the alcohol and “exchanged words” with the current member, but got into a “physical altercation” with the expelled member.

Kappa Sigma told investigators the alcohol seen by security guards was brought in by the sorority they were hosting the event with, not purchased or served by the fraternity, according to the letter.

The party was eventually shut down by UA police.

The chapter can appeal the university’s decision by August 14. If an appeal is unsuccessful, the fraternity could apply to reinstate the chapter in May 2023.