Hank Nuwer, Author; Hazing Deaths Database

By Jamie Ruff

Published: May 7, 2009

FARMVILLE—A sorority founded more than a century ago at Longwood University is closing its chapter there in the aftermath of allegations of hazing and underage drinking, officials said.

The closing of the Alpha Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha comes less than a month after it had been reinstated with sanctions for policy violations.

“All of Zeta Tau Alpha is deeply disappointed that the members of Alpha Chapter have shown disregard for the standards of conduct and expectations of behavior that our fraternity values,“ national president Laura Ladewig Mauro said in a statement.

“Closing any chapter is a painful decision; closing your first chapter is difficult beyond words,“ Mauro said. “But all chapters must abide by the ideals and principles of our sisterhood if they wish to remain a part of our organization.“

On May 18-19, representatives from ZTA International will conduct hearings with current chapter members that could result in expulsion from the sorority. At the same time, Longwood will conduct an administrative hearing regarding the chapter.

Longwood said in a statement that it hoped ZTA would be able to return to the campus in the future.

Longwood claims to be the only college in the country where as many as four national sororities were founded. The others are Kappa Delta, Sigma Sigma Sigma and Alpha Sigma Alpha.

LINCOLN, Neb. (CN) – Sigma Chi Fraternity at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln subjected a pledge to violent hazing, including being sodomized by a stripper while others watched, and other degrading, assaultive and racist actions, the pledge claims in Lancaster County Court. He claims that pledges were repeatedly threatened not to report the assaults and degradation to police or to “Greek Affairs.”
The former pledge, a minor at the time, sued nine individuals, the Sigma Chi Building Corp., Alpha Epsilon Chapter of Sigma Chi at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Sigma Chi Corp., and Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Moderator: the Utah State case continues. HN

USU student pleads guilty to supplying alcohol to minor, hazing charge dropped
Published: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 11:53 p.m.

LOGAN — Another one of the Utah State University students charged in connection with the alcohol poisoning death of fraternity pledge Michael Starks has reached an agreement with prosecutors.

Whitney Katherine Miller, 19, pled guilty to unlawful supply of alcohol to a minor, a class A misdemeanor, during a change of plea hearing Wednesday, according to court records. During the hearing prosecutors agreed to drop a hazing charge against Miller, court records indicate.

Judge Thomas Willmore set Miller’s sentencing for June 15.

Starks, 18, died after participating in an initiation ceremony for the then-USU chapter of Sigma Nu. The initiation involved Starks and another pledge being “kidnapped” by the Chi Omega sorority women. An affidavit of probable cause states the pledges were stripped down to their boxers and painted in USU school colors.

Sometime during the activity, they began drinking, prosecutors say. They returned to the fraternity house already heavily intoxicated, and a few hours later, Starks was found unconscious and not breathing.

Starks was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly afterward.

Grant Arthur Barney, 22, pleaded guilty last month to obstructing justice, a class B misdemeanor, and was sentenced Monday to serve eight days in jail and pay a $1,025 fine. Barney will also be on probation for one year and will be required to perform 100 hours of community service.

By Ethan Thomas

LOGAN ­ One of the 12 Utah State University students charged in connection
with the alcohol poisoning death of fraternity pledge Michael Starks was
sentenced Monday in 1st District Court.

Grant Arthur Barney, 22, pleaded guilty last month to obstructing justice,
a class B misdemeanor, and was sentenced to serve eight days in jail and
pay a $1,025 fine. Barney will also be on probation for one year and will
be required to perform 100 hours of community service.

Barney was originally charged with obstructing justice and one count of
hazing, but the hazing charge was later dismissed.

Barney’s attorney, Shannon Demler, told the Deseret News in March that
Barney did not take part in the alleged hazing, but he did throw away some
bottles of alcohol that were consumed the night of Starks’ death.

Starks, 18, died after participating in an initiation ceremony for the
then-USU chapter of Sigma Nu. The initiation involved Starks and another
pledge being “kidnapped” by the Chi Omega sorority women. An affidavit of
probable cause states that the pledges were stripped down to their boxers
and painted in USU school colors.

Sometime during the activity, they began drinking, prosecutors say. They
returned to the fraternity house already heavily intoxicated, and a few
hours later, Starks was found unconscious and not breathing.

Starks was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly afterward.

Last month, another student, Sadie Green, 19, pleaded no contest to one
count of hazing. Charges have been dropped against three of the 12 students
originally charged in January.

Seven other USU students charged in the case have court dates scheduled in
the coming months.

© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company | All rights reserved

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Note: The last paragraph re waiver should be challenged in court. If the activity itself is coerced or has an element of negligence in itself, the wife
might expose the waiver for the sham it is–Moderator

Policeman killed in savage hazing for special forces

Today, 12:20 PM

The widow of a killed Russian police officer has demanded an investigation into his death: the man received fatal injuries in a brutal fight with seven other policemen. The fight was part of a savage hazing practice designed to test whether recruits were tough enough for top jobs with the police special forces.

Viktor Kritsenkov, 30 years old, was seeking employment at the elite “Bison” squadron, based in the Moscow Region.

As an unofficial entry test, the man had to stand at least several minutes of sparring against seven Bison officers at once, Life.ru reports.

In spite of his great physical strength, after the fight Kritsenkov had to be rushed to intensive care, where he died the next day.

His widow, Yekaterina, has demanded justice, saying that what happened to her husband was cold-blooded murder. She said that getting into the special forces was her husband’s dream.

An administrative investigation has been launched into the case, but the investigators say it will to be hard to launch a criminal case against the offenders. Such fights are quite frequent in Russia’s special forces.

“During such fights the participants are protected by gloves only,” a spokesman for the investigation committee said.

“That’s why before the sparring, all participants are warned of the danger and must sign a paper that relieves all other participants of responsibility in the event of an accident. By signing this paper, the man acknowledges he may receive serious injuries.”