The University of Miami has imposed a suspension on the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity after a video showing possible hazing behavior went viral, despite university officials claiming that the actions depicted did not violate their hazing policies. The video, which sparked the controversy, featured fraternity members engaging in an act where they appear to chug milk and subsequently expel it onto a fellow member seated within a trash can.
According to WSVN, the fraternity will not be able to host or attend any university events until the upcoming fall semester, despite the finding that no hazing laws was broken. The university's decision to suspend the chapter for the remainder of the Spring semester was due to violations of university conduct policies, specifically related to disorderly conduct and alcohol policies, rather than hazing statutes.
Additional details on the investigation emerged when the University told the Miami Herald, “While the investigation did not uncover a violation of the University’s hazing policy, it did uncover other conduct violations.” This statement was emphasized in an article published on March 20th, according to the New York Post. As a result of the findings, the fraternity chapter has acknowledged their responsibility for infringing upon the University's regulations concerning conduct and alcohol use.
Although the university administration concluded that no hazing took place, David W. Bianchi, a seasoned attorney specialized in hazing cases, shared a divergent perspective with the Post. "I cannot imagine that anybody would voluntarily get into a garbage can and allow other pledges to vomit or spit on them unless it was a hazing event," Bianchi told the outlet. He asserted that appropriate repercussions are essential to deter future incidents of misconduct within fraternity life.
The controversy comes under the shadow of Florida's stringent anti-hazing laws, which were reinforced following the death of Chad Meredith in 2001. Meredith, a University of Miami student, lost his life after attempting to swim a lake while intoxicated in a fraternity-related incident. A civil jury mandated Kappa Sigma, the fraternity involved, to compensate Meredith's family with $12 million in damages while criminal charges were never pursued, as highlighted by a New York Post report. Florida law defines hazing as any act that puts students at risk of physical or mental harm for the purpose of joining an organization, with penalties ranging from misdemeanors to felony charges for those found guilty.
As the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity prepares for its suspension period and eventual return under probation in August, the recent events at the University of Miami continue to stir conversation about the culture within collegiate Greek life and the enforcement of anti-hazing policies. An update from the Miami Herald echoed the university's stance, reaffirming that the fraternity's conduct violated university policies but did not break hazing rules as per their investigation.
UM suspends fraternity, but says it didn’t break hazing rules in milk-chugging video https://t.co/YlJJHlYdXL
— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) March 20, 2024
