6 Lehigh U. sororities face hazing investigation

[U Go Glen Coco!]

Source

Because of recent reports of inappropriate behaviors of existing and new sorority members, all new member activites have been suspended, according to an e-mail to Delta Gamma sorority from Tim Wilkinson, director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs.

As of 4:15 p.m. on Jan. 21, all new member activities had been suspended.

Wilkinson wrote that Lehigh administrative officials had received several reports of hazing that were in violation of the university's policies dealing with new member education and activities.

The acts of hazing were said to be, but not limited to, giving alcohol to minors, forcing new members to consume alcohol and attend social parties every night of the week, degrading new members, and threatening physical harm and sleep deprivation to new members.

The reports are being investigated by Lehigh Police and the Dean of Students' office, according to an e-mail to members of the Association of Student Alumni sent by Katheryn McAuliff, assistant director of the Office of Admissions.

McAuliff's e-mail also noted that once the sorority members are able to abide by university and chapter standards, administrators may decide to allow new member education and activities to begin again.

The six sororities involved in the violations are Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Phi, Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Gamma Delta, Delta Gamma and Gamma Phi Beta, according to Wilkinson's e-mail.

Lehigh was chosen to host the 2011 Interdisciplinary Institute for Hazing Intervention earlier this month.

[Psi U MC Vito]

I honestly can't say I'm surprised based on what I know about Lehigh.

[U Go Glen Coco!]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

I honestly can't say I'm surprised based on what I know about Lehigh.

Agreed.

My own sorority is one of the accused. I've heard of that chapter hazing in all my years of membership. When I read this article I couldn't help but be amazed at the fact that this is just becoming an issue now.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Also while I don't see giving alcohol to minors as being a good thing, I don't see why they classified it as hazing.

[shadokat]

no surprise...Lehigh has always been a big hazing school!

[33girl]

There's a big difference between making alcohol available to NMs and FORCING them to drink. While the former isn't legal in many cases, if other under 21s in the sorority are drinking, preventing NMs from drinking would be hazing also.

Ditto the socials - if a NM is voluntarily blowing off her class to go to a social, that's her dumb choice. If the sorority is forcing her to blow off class or sleep, that's another matter.

And I'm sorry, but when the majority get busted for something, I look askance at the minority. Just saying.

[Lafayette79]

I was in grad school at Lehigh in the '80s and knew guys in the Crow house. The mixed Fraternity/Sorority Row is isolated and up a mountain from the campus, so there is a lot of privacy. The general thought was that during the week, everyone studied like hell, but on the weekends, they all let loose. And there was nothing doing on Southside Bethlehem but the row.

[exlurker]

an update article from the Feb. 4, 2011 student paper:

http://media.www.thebrownandwhite.co...-3973331.shtml