[hoosier]

January 26, 2002

Fraternity faces hazing sanctions
By KIMBERLY JONES
Special to The Sun


University of Florida's Chi Phi fraternity was found responsible for hazing and giving false information to University Police on Friday by the Greek Judicial Board.

Accusations of making pledges live in a 6-by-12-foot storage room while loud music was played, forcing them to crawl in human excrement and beating pledges with paddles were made by Dave Walen, a contractor who did remodeling on the house and who testified against the fraternity.

"During 'Hell Week,' they had 14 guys live in a closet with no sleep and blaring music," Walen said. "Also, when some of the pledges had been disrespectful to the older brothers, they put cat food cans and the biggest filter of coffee grounds I'd ever seen and made them eat. One pledge ate till he vomited."

The week was supposed to be the initiation week that new pledges went through before they were inducted as brothers.

The fraternity faces several sanctions.

"They will be required to have a national representative, not affiliated with the UF chapter, live in the house until spring 2003," said Cyrus Williams, assistant dean and director for Student Judicial Affairs.

They also will have to pay for a national speaker to speak to the Greek community about hazing and the risks involved with it and have another presentation to the Greek presidents about hazing.

These sanctions will be sent as a recommendation Monday to Dean of Students Gene Zdziarski, who then decides the fraternity's fate.

Though they are facing these sanctions, Friday night Chi Phi members were celebrating that the punishment wasn't more severe.

Chi Phi was kicked off campus in 1998 for hazing and underage drinking. It returned to the house at 1 Fraternity Row in the fall of 2000.

Under UF code, hazing is an act that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical heath or safety of a person as a means of gaining or keeping membership into an organization.

Walen and Gino DiFonzo, former house adviser and Chi Phi alumnus, testified in a hearing Friday morning against the fraternity.

Walen said he saw pledges forced to do pushups and jump in the air "until they literally could not stand." He also saw pledges forced to run in the woods and on the practice field across from the fraternity.

Chi Phi brother and fall 2001 president, Rafael Molina, denied that any hazing ever occurred.

"Hazing is something we're all educated on. We sign a statement of understanding that says that there will be no hazing," Molina said. "We wanted to make sure that hazing would never be a part of our new member recruitment."

Molina said DiFonzo was a disgruntled employee who was trying to obtain money from the fraternity. He also said the fraternity calls the week "Inspiration Week," not "Hell Week."

Molina said Chi Phi is taking this as a learning experience and will act more quickly when they see problems with their employees.

"We're building a house, getting stronger and embodying our traditions of truth, honesty, personal integrity, leadership and community service," Molina said.

Walen said he was upset that only sanctions were brought against the fraternity instead of them being expelled from school or kicked off campus.

"They make a constant effort to defy every rule and have no respect for any law or rule," Walen said. "They're completely untouchable and immune to any type of prosection."