ZPB - Virginia Union University - suspended, four convicted

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Virginia Union University sorority suspended for hazing
Associated Press
© April 3, 2003
Last updated 12:56 PM Apr. 3

RICHMOND -- The Zeta Phi Beta Sorority chapter at Virginia Union University was suspended after four members were convicted of misdemeanor hazing for paddling a recruit.

Shyron V. Bryant, 22; Angela Denise Mitchell, 23; Rikita Renee Deans, 21; and Tamika Shanta Murrell, 23, were fined $1,000 each, with $750 suspended, and given two years probation during a hearing in Richmond General District Court on Monday.

They were also ordered to avoid contact with the victim, Kimberly Daniels, a junior from Emporia.

Another 10 sorority members face two misdemeanor counts of simple assault and hazing on May 27.

The sorority members were charged after a Feb. 23 incident in which Daniels was paddled on her backside. Ruby Daniels said she took her daughter to the emergency room after she was struck about 35 times and suffered severe bruises.



VUU referred questions about the status of the defendants to lawyer Henry L. Marsh, who said the women have 10 days to appeal.

``It's not appropriate for the university to act until final action is taken in their cases. So we should know something in a few days,'' Marsh said.

VUU and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. suspended the campus chapter.

Kimberly Daniels is a transfer student from Virginia Tech. Her mother said her daughter remains enrolled at VUU but is thinking about transferring next year.