LSU Fraternity Chapter Suspended – Greek Life Issues Persist In Baton Rouge
According to reports, a Louisiana State University fraternity chapter has been suspended due to allegations of hazing and COVID-19 guideline violations. The Kappa Sigma fraternity allegedly hosted parties off-campus and also hazed pledges.
You can see the report from The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) below on Twitter.
According to The Advocate's report, the Associate Dean for Student Advocacy and Accountability at LSU, Jonathan Sanders, sent a letter to the Kappa Sigma fraternity that included allegations of hazing and also that a party was held in the Fall where underage students were served alcohol.
Kappa Sigma was originally suspended on January 15, 2021 due to other allegations of underage drinking and COVID-19 protocol violations. The fraternity was working on a plan to address the issues included in the initial suspension when LSU learned of the more recent allegations.
Specific allegations against the LSU Kappa Sigma chapter include the hosting of a house-party where an estimated 300 people were in attendance. The report says that the, "medical transport of a student" occurred in direct relation to this party. There was also reports of an event in Houston that violated COVID-19 guidelines.
Hazing of pledges is included in these allegations which included making pledges run errands, depriving them of sleep, and making pledges serve as bartenders for parties.
Per The Advocate's report, the Kappa Sigma fraternity chapter at LSU has a hearing scheduled for April 8th to discuss these allegations with university officials.
With the issue of hazing on college campuses now getting attention from the U.S. Government, which U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy backing, one has to wonder what else LSU can do about addressing the on-going issues happening with Greek organizations on their campus.
Last Fall, LSU suspended the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity from campus after a student was hospitalized in relation to an off-campus event. Of course, there was the tragic story from a few years ago where 18-year-old Maxwell Gruver died from an alcohol-related hazing incident. This incident was also involving the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at LSU.
LSU isn't alone in its Greek-life issues, as UL had an investigation of its own into a hazing incident that occurred in 2019. Nevertheless, hazing continues to be an issue amongst fraternities in particular across the country.
It isn't a secret at this point what happens at fraternities on college campuses everywhere. Pledges want to be a part of a particular chapter and are sometimes coerced or even forced into doing things that may not be safe or even legal.
Louisiana State University has been operating with Greek-life for long enough to know by now that these things are happening all of the time, whether they are reported to the administration or not. Either way, it does not seem like the University has any intentions of shutting down Greek-life or serving any more harsh punishments to chapters that are in violations of the code of conduct.
The problems that are affecting these young students who are trying to get involved in Greek-life will persist so long as LSU allows it to happen. Even after the death of a student, it seems like the office of Student Advocacy and Accountability at LSU will continue to send out letters and hold hearings with Greek organizations as their way of mitigating a major problem on campus.