The University of Virginia has sent Theta Chi packing after alleged hazing rituals described as “disturbing” and “dangerous.” Theta Chi follows Pi Kappa Alpha, which was suspended in April over similar hazing allegations. Two more fraternities—Pi Lambda Phi and Sigma Alpha Mu—are under investigation and could face a similar fate. So far, UVa Greek organizations have been adjudicated under the authority of the University Judiciary Committee, which is student-run.
The suspensions of Theta Chi and Pi Kappa Alpha were instigated by an Office of Student Affairs report following an investigation. Though both fraternities attempted to deceive the university during the investigation, what the report details is genuinely disturbing. Pledges were verbally harassed, coerced into eating painful or “heinous” foods, and physically assaulted. In one account, pledges at Pi Kappa Alpha were subjected to having their genitals slathered in hot sauce. One recruit was hung from a cross with tape, then force-fed cottage cheese and hot sauce, with hot sauce smothered on his body.
The executive vice president of Pi Kappa Alpha’s national office condemned the UVa chapter's actions in a video released in April.
David Bianchi Weighs In
A Daily Progress report reached out to David Bianchi as an authority on hazing law for comment. David noted that despite the fraternity’s suspension, the fraternity officers who oversaw the hazing saw little to no personal consequences. In fact, some of them graduated in May.
Part of this is a consequence of the slow pace of the investigation.
“Did they get their college degree despite the fact that they failed to cooperate and the hazing was taking place on their watch? That should not happen,” David said. “If you really want to stop hazing on college campuses, you have to be swift and tough with the consequences."
Since 2000, hazing has killed 70 fraternity pledges. An accident at UVa in March nearly made it 71: a second-year student was rendered comatose after he fell down some stairs and struck a wall with his head while pledging Kappa Sigma.
It’s absurd that an activity that is so needlessly dangerous, destructive, and regularly fatal is treated as a non-punishable offense by university administrators. It’s necessary for universities to suspend Greek organizations after hazing occurs, but that’s not enough to deter the perpetrators of hazing. What would serve as a deterrent and terminate hazing culture is for the universities to immediately expel fraternity officers involved in a hazing incident.
After every hazing incident, hazing lawyer David Bianchi has called for swift and decisive expulsion for all perpetrators. Universities have refused to do so except in cases where students are facing criminal charges, and students are the poorer for it.