BOSTON – The death of a Clemson University sophomore this month has revived alarm about safety at fraternities on U.S. campuses, even as more colleges crack down on dangerous behavior.
The South Carolina school said Tuesday that it had suspended some activities at its 24 fraternities. Earlier this month, California State University, Northridge suspended the Pi Kappa Phi chapter, which later agreed to disband, for hazing violations after a student died on a hike. On Sept. 19, Penn State, Altoona said it had barred a fraternity for six years amid probes into a student suicide in March that may have been linked to hazing.
More than 60 people have died in fraternity-related events since 2005, many involving alcohol abuse and hazing. Tragic incidents have spurred punitive measures from administrators, said Gentry McCreary, associate dean of students at the University of West Florida in Pensacola.
"People are starting to scratch their heads and say, 'When are things going to change?' " said McCreary, who is also a consultant with the National Center for Higher Education Risk Management.
The Oconee County Sheriff's office in South Carolina is investigating the Sept. 22 death of Tucker Hipps, a 19-year-old political science major at Clemson. He was on an "early-morning group activity run with fraternity members," Clemson said in a statement.
Hipps, who died in a fall from a bridge, was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Zero-tolerance policy
The fraternity's national organization said in a Sept. 23 statement that it was aware of reports that Hipps' death was in some way linked to hazing.
"SigEp has a zero-tolerance policy regarding hazing and is currently investigating these claims," the fraternity said.
While such hikes and runs may sound innocuous, sending new or aspiring members on adventures is a common hazing activity, said Hank Nuwer, a journalism professor at Franklin College in Franklin, Ind., who studies the topic.
There have been several incidents where students have been dropped off in dangerous areas or forced to navigate out of risky situations, he said. "It's crazy to have pledges running around in the dark."
This year, punitive measures have been taken against fraternities at Marquette University in Milwaukee and Loyola University in Chicago.
Loyola imposed a three-year suspension on Sigma Pi after reports of hazing and other bad behavior. The chapter will be eligible to return to campus no earlier than 2017.
Party bans two years in a row
Earlier this month, MIT banned large parties at all Greek societies after a woman fell from the window of a fraternity house, MIT said in a Sept. 3 e-mail to the university community. The incident during the previous weekend was alcohol-related, according to MIT's police log.
A similar ban at MIT was imposed last year after a male student fell four stories through a fraternity-house skylight. Both people survived the falls.
Some colleges have been hesitant to crack down on fraternities, Nuwer said. Schools may fear that exerting control over Greek societies will raise their risk of liability when incidents occur, he said.
Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., told its two active all-male Greek houses last week to admit women and end freshman "rushing." Fraternities at the college have been the subject of two lawsuits since 2012 alleging sexual assault.
The North-American Interfraternity Conference, an Indianapolis-based group of brotherhoods, has organized commissions to study hazing, sexual misconduct and alcohol abuse. They are working to provide final reports and recommendations by March 1, 2016, said Peter Smithhisler, the group's president.
