Another Tallahassee Fraternity in trouble...

[Mac04d]

Watch the hazing if you're in Tally... they're out to get the frats.


Saturday, Jan. 27 at approximately 1:30 a.m., two Florida State University Police Department officers responded to a hazing complaint. Upon approaching the off-campus residence of 1115 Bonnie Road, the officers heard screaming coming from the rear of the house. Before moving to the back of the house, the FSUPD officers notified Tallahassee Police Department and requested that one of their unmarked vehicles respond to the area to approach the house.

"We heard talking coming from the rear of the house, but we were unable to determine what was being said," the police report stated. "We walked around to the rear of the house to investigate where the talking and yelling was coming from."

Several males fled on foot when the officers made contact with the area, but the four males stopped were identified as members of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. The officers also found 31 pledges in a crawl space under the house wearing white t-shirts and sweat pants. The t-shirts had various statements of profanity and other vulgar wording written on them. The police report also stated that "the pledges bodies were covered in raw eggs, catfish stink bait, flour and vinegar." The report did not state as to how long the pledges were in this crawl space but they were all "shivering from the cold." At the time in which officers removed them from the space it was 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The pledges were also found with welts on their bodies from unknown objects being thrown at them.

The men arrested by FSUPD were Drew Johnson, 22, an FSU student; Eric Fernandez, 19, a Tallahassee Community College student; Joshua Vincent, 19, an FSU student; and Nicholas Finazzo, 18, a TCC student. The four fraternity members found at the house were arrested on misdemeanor charges of hazing. They were released from the Leon County Jail after posting $500 bail each according to a Tallahassee Democrat article.

"We're concerned about the safety and well-being of our students," said Courtney Barry, assistant dean of students and director of Greek Life at FSU in a Tallahassee Democrat article. "We are currently cooperating with the University police department."

Barry also said the fraternity has been suspended by the University's Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. The University will review police reports to determine possible disciplinary actions for Johnson and Vincent. According to a statement given to the Tallahassee Democrat, Alice Maxwell, spokesperson for TCC, said there is no disciplinary action issued for Fernandez and Finazzo as of now.

FSU officials suspended the chapter as of Monday, Jan. 29. Vincent and Johnson have been suspended indefinitely by the fraternity's alumni board, which is standard procedure when a hazing allegation surfaces.