UCF suspends fraternity amid hazing accusation

A University of Central Florida fraternity has been temporarily suspended as it faces hazing allegations, school documents released Monday show.

On Jan. 5, someone emailed the university about a UCF freshman who rushed Phi Delta Theta.

“After weeks of ‘pledging’ Phi Delta Theta, he has come to seek aid from me as he says it has been one of the most psychologically harming experiences he has ever experienced. It has taken a toll on him both mentally and physically,” said the partially redacted email, which UCF released Monday. “On top of that his grades have dropped due to this. He simply doesn’t seem the same and I need action to be taken.”

Amid the accusations, the school decided to temporarily suspend Phi Delta Theta, which means they cannot hold chapter meetings, fundraisers, social gatherings or other events, according to a Jan. 20 UCF letter sent to the fraternity.

Gary Burns, the fraternity chapter’s president, said he has “found nothing to support these allegations.”

“At no point in time were the lives of any of our members at stake. In Phi Delta Theta's eyes, hazing is the antithesis of the development of a man, and is counterproductive to our goals as an organization,” wrote Burns, 20, a UCF junior from Boca Raton, in an email. “We are still working diligently with UCF to resolve the situation.”

The school would not release additional information about the hazing allegations to protect the student’s identity, said UCF spokeswoman Courtney Gilmartin. The email UCF received also included screen shots of text messages that appeared to be sent from the fraternity but were completely redacted.

In January, students also complained to the university about their roommate coming home “heavily inebriated” after his fraternity initiation, banging on the doors and trying to pick a fight, according to UCF documents.