A University of Miami fraternity has been suspended for the remainder of the spring semester after a disturbing video capturing a hazing incident sparked outrage.
Video from the Miami chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon showed members gulping down milk before spitting it onto the bare back of a student sitting in a trash can.
The incident did not result in those sanctions, but led to a further investigation into the fraternity’s behavior, which revealed violations of the Florida school’s conduct and alcohol rules.
The investigation determined that the milk incident was not in violation of the university’s hazing policy, which describes it as “an action or situation created on or off campus that recklessly or intentionally , harms, damages, or endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student. ‘
“Although the investigation did not reveal a violation of the university’s hazing policy, it did reveal other behavioral violations,” the university said in a statement.
A University of Miami fraternity has been suspended for the remainder of the spring semester after a disturbing video filmed during a hazing incident sparked outrage.
“As a result of the investigation, the chapter accepted responsibility for violating the University’s disorderly conduct and alcohol policies.”
A lawyer behind a 2005 lawsuit that led the state to pass stricter hazing laws said it was unlikely to constitute hazing because it was unlikely to end to commitment.
“From what I saw in the video, what they were doing to this guy was not likely to cause serious injury or death,” said David Bianchi, whose trial led to the law enforcement Chad Meredith for the death of a baseball player for nearly two decades. ago, told CBS Miami.
“There will be no criminal charges against anyone, but the university and the national fraternity will take action because this is hazing and it is a violation of policies.”
The organization cannot host or attend any official events until classes resume in the fall.
Members will be allowed to continue living in their fraternity house, but if further violations occur during their probationary period, they could face further punishment. the Miami Herald reports.
Bianchi believes that such incidents will not stop happening until the sanctions are even harsher.
“There have to be consequences if you want to stop inappropriate fraternity conduct in the future,” Bianchi said.
Video from the Miami chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon showed members gulping down milk before spitting it onto the bare back of a student sitting in a trash can.
Members will be allowed to continue living in their fraternity house, but if further violations occur during their probationary period, they could face further punishment.
“Although the investigation did not reveal a violation of the university’s hazing policy, it did reveal other behavioral violations,” the university said in a statement.
In the footage, obtained by NBC South Florida in early March, one student is seen sitting in a trash can while the three others around him begin to drink what appear to be jugs of milk, before spitting the mystery substance onto the student’s back. the man.
The person filming the video can be heard saying, “That’s nasty.”
In a statement at the time the video was made public, the university acknowledged the existence of the videos and can “confirm the authenticity of a video.”
“The University of Miami has received multiple reports regarding alleged violations of conduct from one of our fraternity chapters,” the statement said. “We are aware of videos circulating but cannot confirm the authenticity of any single video. A full investigation is underway.
“Personally, it’s just not for me,” UM Junior’s Nick Giannakopoulos told NBC Miami. “I think it’s a very extreme path to take to join a student organization.”
“It’s pretty much up to the individual to decide whether they want to do this to get the most out of their college experience; I know it’s a big part of the culture here,” he added.
In November 2017, a Florida State University student was killed by acute alcohol poisoning after suspected hazing while participating in Big Brother Night, a fraternity event hosted by Pi Kappa Pha.
Andrew Coffey, 20, was a civil engineering student in Pompano Beach.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon cannot host or attend any official events until school begins in the fall.
“Personally, it’s just not for me,” UM Junior’s Nick Giannakopoulos told NBC Miami. “I think it’s a very extreme path to take to join a student organization.”
The Tallahassee Democrat reports that officers recovered liquor bottles scattered on the front porch of the home as evidence.
Coffey was found unresponsive around 10:25 a.m. the morning after the party, authorities said. Attempts to resuscitate him failed.
The fraternity has been suspended by its national organization pending the conclusion of the investigation.
A year earlier, in 2016, Florida State University suspended the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, after a member complained that pledges were forced to act like slaves in a drinking game on the theme of Plantation.
The anonymous TKE member waited until after graduation to report the 2013 incident on the school’s anti-hazing website.
According to the report, TKE members forced pledges to participate in a drinking game called “Old South,” in which new members had to act as slaves and serve drinks to the fraternity’s older brothers.
The TKE brothers also allegedly drove pledges to remote locations like Ocala (185 miles away) or Thomasville, Georgia (34 miles away), and abandoned them there to find their way back to Tallahassee without their phones cell phone or their wallet.