Colgate University today withdrew recognition of Kappa Delta Rho fraternity for repeated violations of the university’s policy forbidding hazing. All chapter operations will cease immediately and the chapter house will be closed at the end of the fall semester.
Twice this fall the fraternity was found to have hazed its new members. The first instance, which took place away from campus and was initially reported to the college by local police, involved underage drinking and activities that placed both the new members and passing motorists at risk. The activity also violated the university policy that forbids organizations from ‘pledging,’ or treating new members other than as full and equal members. For those violations the university placed the fraternity on probation for two years and provided professional staff to work with the organization on corrective measures.
Following the first sanction, the university confirmed reports that the fraternity membership had subsequently met and agreed as a group to resume hazing activities, which included restraining new members in a locked boiler room, forcing new members to stay up all night, intentional humiliation, and planning to drop new members at remote locations and impede their return to campus. The fraternity admitted all charges at a hearing before a campus conduct board and also admitted filing a false and misleading statement with the university and violating the terms of their probation. The hearing board comprised students, faculty and members of the administrative staff.
Colgate’s ‘Policy on Hazing,’ provided to all students in the Student Handbook, states that ‘Hazing is any action or situation that recklessly or intentionally endangers mental or physical health, or creates substantial embarrassment, harassment or ridicule, or involves the forced consumption of food, alcohol or drugs in the course of initiation or continuing affiliation with an organization,’ and stipulates that ‘Groups that violate the university hazing policy will forfeit recognition.’
A statement that governs the relationship between the university and its fraternities and sororities also expressly forbids hazing and the other violations of which KDR was found responsible. The Student Handbook stipulates that students must also comply with the New York State Anti-Hazing Law.
(Read the Syracuse Post-Standard story.)