Six SAE hazers at W&M charged; chapter expelled

[hoosier]

Fraternity Investigated for Hazing
Becca Millfeld, DSJ Staff Reporter

Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity is under investigation after a student sustained cuts, abrasions and bruises at the SAE house late last Thursday/early Friday morning.
According to Vice President of Student Affairs Sam Sadler, the student suffered head injuries and received medical treatment at Williamsburg Community Hospital. There is a strong possibility that the event was alcohol-related, and an investigation into whether hazing was involved is underway.
The Commonwealth Attorney’s office has been notified of the incident, and the College and the national fraternity are currently investigating the matter. Chapter activity has been suspended by the national fraternity pending the investigation, though SAE has not been kicked off campus according to Sadler.
“William and Mary has a very strong view on hazing. We are pursuing this matter with the degree of concern it deserves,” said Sadler.
The injured student is currently back in class. The College received word of the injury late last Friday.
The president of SAE could not be reached for comment.

[Tom Earp]

Hope it is unfounded, but there are to many stupid things happening on Campi to be ignored!

Dah, Dah, Dah!

[mmcat]

what is the world???
don't people get it?

[hoosier]

Sigma Alpha Epsilon's chapter at W&M has been suspended by the fraternity's national organization.
BY PATTI ROSENBERG
223-5686
Published November 4, 2004

WILLIAMSBURG -- An incident last week in which a 17-year-old pledge showed up at Williamsburg Community Hospital with a bleeding head and a blood-alcohol level of 0.37 is threatening Sigma Alpha Epsilon's future at the College of William and Mary, according to a memo sent to alumni brothers.
The Daily Press obtained a copy of the memo from one of the recipients. The author of the memo is Michael Wymant, assistant executive director of the national organization's Philadelphia field office, who came to the campus recently to gather facts in the case. He said the organization has suspended the chapter for the time being.
Sam Sadler, vice president of student affairs at the college, confirmed that William and Mary is investigating the incident, but he would not offer a timetable other than to say the inquiry was being conducted as quickly as possible.
"I just hope that very soon we'll be able to share with you the whole thing," Sadler said Wednesday. "The longer the speculation and uncertainty goes, the worse it gets."
Wymant's memo alleges that college officials have said that if the organization closes the chapter voluntarily, a written agreement will be made to allow the chapter to return in two to four years. However, "if it goes to formal hearing, I was assured a harsher penalty will result," Wymant writes.
Sadler said he didn't know about the discussions that led to what's in the memo and would not comment further on the details of it. He said he was surprised to hear about the memo, given that fraternity brothers and representatives were not allowed to comment on the investigation until it is complete. But he said he doubted Wymant ever envisioned where the e-mail would end up.
The memo says, "The chapter has clearly violated SAE's risk management policies. Underage consumption of alcohol, purchasing alcohol by 'passing the hat' and involving alcohol in a pledge activity certainly qualify as violations. The environment created by the big brothers does fit the definition of the school hazing policy. Unfortunately, given the big picture, there is sufficient grounds to close the chapter."
"Shoot," said Sadler. "I think I'm going to call the national headquarters and see if I can see this memo."
According to Wymant's memo:
The 17-year-old freshman at the center of the controversy was among six pledges participating in "Revelation Night" at the fraternity Oct. 28. They were given two 750 ml. bottles of Goldschlager (which Wymant says is "a cinnamon liqueur that I associate with most sorority events") while watching the movie "The Godfather" and were told they would each find out who their big brother was when they were finished.
One pledge didn't drink at all. Two only had a shot or two because they had exams the next day. A fourth was already intoxicated when he arrived and vomited after drinking a shot or two. The last two pledges "drank a great deal," finishing all the alcohol in about 90 minutes.
After they found out who their big brothers were, two of the very intoxicated pledges were brought upstairs to a lounge area.
"One pledge in particular, having broken up with a girlfriend the previous day, was certainly the most intoxicated. He ran along the third floor and headed for the stairs of the adjoining fraternity.
"Two brothers chased him and when they caught up to him on the second floor landing, he was lying down with an injury sustained to his head. It is assumed he fell. As he was conscious, though bleeding badly, they helped the pledge up and took him downstairs."
Another pledge, who was sober and about to give someone else a ride home, was asked to take the injured pledge to Williamsburg Community Hospital, where he received eight staples to close the wound on the side of his head and ear.
He also was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.37 percent - nearly five times the legal limit to charge a driver over the age of 21 with drunken driving.
In addition to promising that the chapter will face "a shopping list of charges" - including hazing, providing alcohol to minors, creating an unsafe environment, operating a bar without a license and violating its probation in connection with prior incidents - the college referred the case to the Williamsburg-James City County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for possible criminal charges.
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Nate Green is overseeing the criminal investigation. He said he doesn't anticipate making a decision before the end of the week. Based on statements the other pledges have made about being offered alcohol but not being required to drink it, there wouldn't be any grounds for a hazing charge, Green said.
However, the 17-year-old pledge who was injured told campus police he understood the pledges were being told they had to finish the two bottles of alcohol, Green said.
Even if the evidence isn't sufficient for a hazing charge, Green said, if investigators can determine who provided the booze, charges could be brought for providing alcohol to a minor or contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
All the charges, including hazing, are misdemeanors with a maximum punishment of 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.

[g41965]

This is simply stupid why do 18yr olds think booze is so cool.

[hoosier]

_ 6 charged in W&M hazing
An alcohol incident also leads to the suspension of a fraternity chapter from the college campus.
BY PATTI ROSENBERG
223-5686
Published November 19, 2004

WILLIAMSBURG -- Six fraternity brothers are being charged, and their fraternity chapter at the College of William and Mary will be closed for three years, because of a hazing incident in which a 17-year-old pledge suffered a head injury and had a 0.37 percent blood-alcohol level, officials said.
Six members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon - William C. Knecht, 19; Joshua P. Evans, 21; Massey Stewart J. Whorley, 20; Joseph E. Ambrose, 19; Gregory C. Kruchko, 21; and Thomas P. Young, 19 - are charged with one count of hazing and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, college spokesman Brian Whitson said.
The charges are misdemeanors with a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine. The men also could be expelled from school.
"Obviously, we're very sorry this happened," said Nick Ziegler, a spokesman for the Sigma Alpha Epsilon national organization.
"But I think it will work out the best for everyone," he said about the resolution of the case, an agreement between the fraternity's national organization and campus officials that will allow the chapter to start again after the spring of 2007. He said the college would assist members living in the fraternity house in finding other housing.
The fraternity's W&M chapter began in 1857 and is the sixth-oldest in the country, Ziegler said. Sadler said 1,200 W&M students had belonged to the fraternity in that time.
The national organization, campus officials and the local prosecutor's office began investigating the situation after a pledge showed up drunk - his blood-alcohol level more than four times Virginia's legal threshold for intoxication - and bleeding at Williamsburg Community Hospital after a fraternity event Oct. 21.
It was "Revelation Night," when new pledges find out who their big brothers are. Six Sigma Alpha Epsilon pledges were told they would receive that information after they drank two 750-milliliter bottles of Goldschlager, according to a memo that the fraternity's national organization sent to alumni brothers. One pledge did not drink at all, and three drank little.
Williamsburg-James City County Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Nate Green said the investigation revealed that the 17-year-old wasn't merely offered alcohol but was led to understand that Revelation Night activities would not go forward until the alcohol was consumed.
He later fell down some stairs while inebriated and suffered a cut on his head that required eight staples to close.
Two other pledges got very drunk during the event, though they didn't require hospital treatment, according to a written statement from Sam Sadler, vice president for student affairs.
The statement read, "It was also learned that earlier this semester, the fraternity had converted a third-floor student room into a social lounge where large quantities of alcohol were stored.
"Free access was provided to underage students throughout the semester, as well as on the night in question."

[mmcat]

how sad...particularly on what should be a bonding night

[ACTDXDeltaDeut]

One thing: It's the media. Television and films show teenagers, usually underage, drinking alcohol and often to excess and very rarely suffering consequences from it. It's only a small part of the problem, but when you are young, especially like 11, 12, 13 and watch TV shows where the "older kids" are drinking beer and hard A like it was water without consequence -- and are often rewarded for the behavior because it makes them "cool", it begins to set in that the behavior is okay. Also, peer pressure plays a huge role as well. When I first came to college, I had a huge amount of pressure to drink heavily even though I had not really drank before in my life -- with the exception of holidays where I was offered a shot of whiskey or vodka or a cup of wine or a beer at a friend's party. When I came to college, I might turn down a shot if I felt I had too much and the chants, "PUSSY! PUSSY! PUSSY!" when you turned it down were enough to make you want to drink the alcohol, even if it was that shot that pushed you over the edge. And believe it or not, we are all really scared and insecure when we come to college, I know I was. We want to find something to fit into and sometimes we endanger our lives to be a part of the group.

In the words of one of my brothers, "Peer Pressure is a beautiful thing." ...I don't believe that if it gets someone killed. It's only a "Beautiful thing" if it gets people motivated to do something constructive. Thankfully, the vast majority of my brothers know NO means NO, even if they give you crap for it.

[DeltAlum]

I'm going to merge this thread with one already started on the topic.