West Virginia University has suspended one of its fraternities over reported hazing.
The university said Tuesday that the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity was sanctioned "for reported hazing incidents in violation of the Student Conduct Code." The interim suspension took effect that day.
Officials did not specify the alleged actions by fraternity members but said that in addition to potential campus penalties related to the Student Code of Conduct, "the claims may also be reviewed for potential criminal charges outside of the University's Code of Conduct."
During the suspension, Pi Kappa Phi is barred from all recruitment activities, as well as participating in, organizing or attending social functions, among other restrictions, officials said in a statement late Tuesday.
The chapter president and adviser received letters from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities notifying them of the organization's interim suspension, officials said. It remains in place as the investigation and review process proceed.
"We take every report of possible misconduct seriously, and many times investigations provide a chance for us to help students make better choices in the future," Jill Gibson, director of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, said in the statement. "But we want our students and student organizations to understand that hazing of any kind is never okay."
Fall classes began Aug. 17 on the Morgantown campus. About 25,000 of WVU's total enrollment of approximately 28,000 students are enrolled there.
Any allegation like this "serves as a reminder that we must redouble our commitment with members of fraternities and sororities on our campus to set a good example and to follow the rules established for the safety of all of our chapters and their members," said Matthew Richardson, director of the Center for Fraternal Values and Leadership and chair of the WVU Hazing Prevention Task Force.
The university said the public can visit safety.wvu.edu for more resources on hazing. Additional resources about hazing prevention efforts at WVU are also available at greeklife.wvu.edu. Reports may be made anonymously.
