KAPsi-Emory soph tells hazing story

[hoosier]

BREAKING NEWS: Scholar alleges hazing by fraternity brothers


By Jeremy Stahl (Emory Student Newsp.)
Executive Editor
April 15, 2004


A Woodruff Scholar who was hospitalized and arrested after spring break for issues relating to bipolar disorder, has accused some of his Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brothers of hazing him during last year’s pledge process, and drugging him and his girlfriend during spring break this year.

College sophomore Raymond McKoy sent a 14-page letter to an array of media outlets and students detailing the physical, mental and emotional abuse he claims to have endured at the hands of three of his brothers in the historically black fraternity.

In the letter, McKoy included nine photographs of his beaten, half-naked body. The photographs, which his roommate said to he took when McKoy was first hazed during his fraternity’s pledging process, or intake, last spring, depict scars, welts and massive bruises all over McKoy’s back, chest and buttocks.

“I told him that it wasn’t worth that and that I didn’t understand why he felt the need to join an organization that would do that to him,” said College sophomore Matthew Eisenman, McKoy’s roommate.

McKoy outlined the abuse in the letter, which was sent Wednesday night to, among others, talk show host Tavis Smiley, MSNBC, ABC and attorney Johnny Cochran.

“During our eight-week process, we were beaten, mentally hazed, forced to run errands and tortured in various ways, including in our genital area,” McKoy wrote.

Assistant Vice President of Campus Life Bridget Guernsey Riordan confirmed that there is a Conduct Council investigation of the charges underway.

McKoy, who holds Emory’s highest scholarship, said he withdrew from the University last semester after having to battle with the depression as well as a bout of Mononucleosis.

He came back to the school at the beginning of the semester, but has not returned since spring break, when he said he was sent to jail and then hospitalized in Raleigh (N.C.) from issues stemming from a bipolar disorder, which was brought on by the abuse from his fraternity brothers.

After consulting with doctors, he said he now believes he was drugged during the hazing process last spring as well as over this spring break.

McKoy, who said he started exhibiting bipolar disorder after the fraternity abuse began, said he believes he and his girlfriend were drugged by two of his Kappa Alpha Psi brothers who spiked his water at a party in Atlanta on Sunday March 7, causing the manic phase of his bipolar disorder to kick in. He claims not to have remembered that Monday’s events and was arrested for misdemeanor assault and resisting arrest on Tuesday after he got into a scuffle with his mother.

Eisenman said that the only possible explanation for McKoy’s action was a drugging.

“He would never do that under normal circumstances,” he said.

McKoy, who attributes his arrest to the combination of drugs, along with the bipolar disorder he says he inherited from his father, was imprisoned between Tuesday and Friday in a New Hanover (N.C.) jailhouse.

On Friday, McKoy was moved to Raleigh’s Holly Hill Hospital.

In a letter to the Associate Dean of the College Thomas Lancaster on Holly Hill Hospital letterhead, a doctor wrote that “Raymond McKoy, a sophomore at your institution, has been receiving emergency medical care as an inpatient in the Raleigh area since March 12, 2004.” Lancaster could not be reached for confirmation, by press time Thursday.

McKoy moved to another hospital and has since been released. He is now at home in Raleigh.

Andy Wilson, assistant dean for Campus Life and director of student conduct, said that the Conduct Council was looking into the fraternity as a whole and not yet investigating individuals.

But McKoy wrote in his letter that he loved his fraternity and would not pursue litigation. He added, however, that he was planning on filing civil and criminal charges against three brothers.

One of the fraternity brothers McKoy listed declined comment.

Kappa Alpha Psi has been ordered to “cease and desist” all chapter functions until the conduct process is finished, Wilson said.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity President David Walker declined to comment because the Conduct Council investigation is ongoing.

The Council has been investigating the situation for about two weeks, but Riordan said she first learned of it around March 24.

McKoy ended his letter by repeating “I love Kappa Alpha Psi,” and requesting that his fraternity be treated leniently.

“Please make sure that the pledges become members and that the situation is handled before anyone else is hurt,” McKoy wrote.

[RBL]

WOW

There is something really weird about his story....just can't put my finger on it

[jmuphigam]

agreed-
have to admit that im a little skeptical about bipolar disorder being brought on by abuse from brothers. im no expert in the area, but 8 weeks of abuse doesnt seem to be enough to bring on something like that in a grown man.
only reason i give any credence to this story is because of the pictures that were sent out...if not for that line about nine pictures of his beaten body, i dont think id buy this story....im sure theres more to this story than the article lets on

btw-please dont read into this that im condoning hazing...only questioning the legitimacy of this guys claim

[starang21]

dime dropper.

[Kevin]

Originally posted by starang21
dime dropper.

You're serious?

The Greek community needs folks like this to weed out the groups that perpetuate the antiquated rites of hazing. Granted that him deciding to go to the media instead of his national group is pretty suspect, but the general practice of turning in your own chapter because it hazes in my opinion makes you a better brother/sister than those that are committing the hazing.

It is a good lesson though for chapters that still haze -- you keep it up, eventually someone will get fed up and go to the authorities.

What kind of member of an organization are you if you chose to go against the directives of your national organization in terms of hazing? Most groups require you to take an oath of fidelity to your organization. Acts like this are basically throwing that oath back in your governing body's face.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by ktsnake
You're serious?

The Greek community needs folks like this to weed out the groups that perpetuate the antiquated rites of hazing. Granted that him deciding to go to the media instead of his national group is pretty suspect, but the general practice of turning in your own chapter because it hazes in my opinion makes you a better brother/sister than those that are committing the hazing.

It is a good lesson though for chapters that still haze -- you keep it up, eventually someone will get fed up and go to the authorities.

What kind of member of an organization are you if you chose to go against the directives of your national organization in terms of hazing? Most groups require you to take an oath of fidelity to your organization. Acts like this are basically throwing that oath back in your governing body's face.

Not all of us want to live the thug lifestyle and make our chapters into gangs...but some do...

-Rudey

[Intense1920]

Something about this story is just not adding up for me.

[Intense1920]

Originally posted by kappa2
Of course there will always be three sides to the story: his, theirs, and what really happened. However, the "not adding up" might have to do with the fact that this article was written by a student reporter at the school and did not contain facts about bipolar disorder nor facts about the hazing.

Given that there were photographs of a beaten victim taken by his concerned roomate, I would tend to believe that at least some hazing took place. Since Bi-polar disorder runs in the victim's family and is characterized by an imbalance in brain chemicals, any chemical that affects the brain that might have been slipped into a drink could indeed magnify and act as a catalyst for the manic side of that mental condition. Bi-polar disorder is also aggrevated by stress, which would certainly be a factor if your "brothers" were inflicting pain.

In any case, it is good that the school is investigating. Hopefully local police will too.

I've seen copies of the letters he sent and in his letters something just seemed odd. I'm not completely sure what it is.

[starang21]

Originally posted by ktsnake
You're serious?

The Greek community needs folks like this to weed out the groups that perpetuate the antiquated rites of hazing. Granted that him deciding to go to the media instead of his national group is pretty suspect, but the general practice of turning in your own chapter because it hazes in my opinion makes you a better brother/sister than those that are committing the hazing.

It is a good lesson though for chapters that still haze -- you keep it up, eventually someone will get fed up and go to the authorities.

What kind of member of an organization are you if you chose to go against the directives of your national organization in terms of hazing? Most groups require you to take an oath of fidelity to your organization. Acts like this are basically throwing that oath back in your governing body's face.

no, i was joking...my organization is non-hazing.

[Kevin]

Originally posted by starang21
no, i was joking...my organization is non-hazing.

That makes sense. It's hard to tell with you sometimes.
(or are you being facetious now?)

[hoosier]

"I've seen copies of the letters he sent and in his letters something just seemed odd. I'm not completely sure what it is." - Intense1920

Can you tell us where we might see the letters?

[starang21]

Originally posted by ktsnake
That makes sense. It's hard to tell with you sometimes.
(or are you being facetious now?)

who me? nawww.....

[ADPiShannan]

OK my mom is a doctor and she explained it to me, but I didnt remember all she said so I went to webmd.com and got the info.

Bipolar disorder (also called manic-depressive disorder) is a medical condition that causes extreme mood changes that alternate between episodes of depression and mania. You may return to a normal mood between these extremes. However, a depressive or manic episode can appear suddenly, without an obvious trigger. Although mood changes associated with bipolar disorder can be difficult, effective treatment is available.

Bipolar disorder may be linked to problems in the balance of chemicals in the brain. It may also be linked to problems with how the endocrine system works. Another theory is that the structure or size of certain parts of the brain may be abnormal.

OK bascially it is not a mental thing where you get hazed and get bipolar disorder. It seems to be a chemical imbalance or you were born with an abnormal brain so I dont see how he can say he got this disorder just from hazing. It just doesnt seem right. It honestly seems like he is just using hazing for the fact he got arrested because he doesnt remember or he says he doesnt. I dont know about it... I agree the whole story seems wrong to me. I will say I can believe hazing was going on, but Im not sure about the rest. It would depress you if you were getting hurt, but either leave, or stick it out and quit whining about it. I mean you cant be a member and love your frat but sue their asses off. I think you have to have one or the other. You know if they find out they hazed badly they wont be easy on them like he asks them to be.

[DIVA1177]

I think it is great that he is going after the people that hazed him. The only thing that didn't bode well with me is that he waited until he crossed to file the charges. He is not filing charges against the fraternity but the people in the fraternity who abused him. He must have really wanted to be a Kappa to endure the torture and then turn around and file charges against his "big brothers". If it works, it will make a very interesting precedent...

[NinjaPoodle]

Originally posted by hoosier
"I've seen copies of the letters he sent and in his letters something just seemed odd. I'm not completely sure what it is." - Intense1920

Can you tell us where we might see the letters?

The letter has been circulating for at least a week on the NPHC circuit. I got my copy I think last Tuesday. If you're such a sleuth, find it yourself.