Student accuses PiKA-U Fla of illegal hazing

[hoosier]

Student accuses fraternity of illegal hazing

By KYLIE CRAIG
Alligator Writer

When Troy Devine decided to join the UF chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, he was hoping to meet new people and make good friends. He didn't expect death threats, stolen and vandalized property or hazing.

But that's what happened.

Now Devine has complained to UF's Office of Student Judicial Affairs, which is investigating the allegations and may charge the fraternity, known as Pike.

Devine, who originally joined the fraternity at Florida Atlantic University, became affiliated with the UF chapter in Fall 2004.

However, Devine was never a UF student. He joined UF's chapter while attending SFCC, which is against university policy.

Because he was already affiliated, Devine didn't have to go through new-member procedures but said he witnessed pledges being hazed through two recruitments.

According to an e-mail from Devine, pledges were put through degradation and physical and mental suffering during the pledge week and "Hell Week" at the end of the semester.

The e-mail describes a hazing ritual called "scrubbing" that took place at the end of the new member period.

During "scrubbing" pledges were forced to scrub bathroom floors covered in detergent with their bare knuckles until they bled.

Devine wrote that fraternity members would sometimes force the pledges to go running for miles, and do push-ups and sit-ups, usually after a night of drinking, as early as 4 a.m. the next day. He was concerned that students could be hospitalized because they became so sick, he wrote in the e-mail.

Devine complained of pledges being told to stand on tables and recite things they had to learn during pledge week. If they got something wrong, they were yelled at and had food thrown at them.

The e-mail also included details of "pledge review boards" run by the new-member educator. Pledges were blindfolded and brought into the chapter room, where they were "grilled about the information they were to have learned that week." When they made mistakes, they were yelled at and forced to do sit-ups and push-ups, sometimes for hours, until they were "mentally and physically exhausted."

Notices were put on doors stating "Ritual in progress" in an attempt to ensure police or school officials didn't enter.

Devine, who was a regional vice president for the fraternity before transferring to SFCC, said he opposed the hazing procedures.

He said Pi Kappa Alpha has a national policy against hazing and that he saw nothing at FAU like what he saw at UF.

"I have no problem with the little stuff, but when you're telling kids they have to bleed to join a fraternity, I just don't agree with that," he said. "They try to quote symbolism behind that you're bleeding for the house, but you don't need to make kids bleed."

He said other members of the organization agreed with him, but the majority didn't want change.

"I just realized trying to do things internally wasn't working," he said. "That is when I think they tried to get rid of me."

Following his outspokenness Devine said he was threatened and ostracized by the fraternity.

When he returned to the house to pick up his belongings June 4, his room had been vandalized, he said.

Devine then filed police reports with the Gainesville Police Department about the vandalism. GPD spokesman Keith Kameg did not return calls.

Devine's complaint with Judicial Affairs, which is public record, was not released because the case is under investigation, Associate Dean of Students Paige Crandall said.

Judicial Affairs officials are deciding if there are any charges, what the charges will be and who will be charged, she said.

"Realistically, there will probably be something coming from this," Crandall said. "It's our goal to get this done as quickly as possible."

Devine said he hopes changes are made within the organization.

"My intent is not to have the fraternity shut down by any means," he said. "There are still a lot of good people in the fraternity."

Devine is no longer attending SFCC and has moved out of state.

Pi Kappa Alpha President John Allen did not return phone calls to the Alligator.