Hank Nuwer, Author; Hazing Deaths Database

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Interview with Moderator Hank Nuwer on prior hazing scandal with Wisconsin band.
The band has been suspended and will miss the Ohio State game.

Excerpt:

That means the band will not perform at tonight’s Big Ten football game between the 18th-ranked Badgers and the No. 14 Ohio State Buckeyes at Camp Randall Stadium, and it marks the first time the marching band has been suspended from a game show in at least 40 years, band director Mike Leckrone said.

“I thought the only thing I could do to send the message was to suspend,” Leckrone said.

Speaking at a news conference at the UW Welcome Center, Leckrone said he thought only a small percentage of the 300 band members were involved in any hazing, but that the members had a “shared responsibility” to behave appropriately.

“You don’t have any idea how hard it was,” he said. “It was like I can remember my father saying, ‘This is going to hurt me more than it’s going to hurt you.’ ”

Leckrone did not describe the allegations in detail but said they involved alcohol consumption and “inappropriate sexual behavior.”

He said he learned of the allegations from a tip but would not say if it came from a student.

Dean of Students Lori Berquam, whose office will investigate the allegations, said the band will remain suspended during the investigation, but she declined to say how long that might take.

In October 2006, the university put the band on probation for seminude dancing, sexualized banter and hazing that occurred during a road trip to the University of Michigan.

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excerpt

riday, October 03, 2008

Campus police and other law enforcement agencies are investigating a hazing incident at Elizabeth City State University that apparently involved either a fraternity or sorority and resulted in injuries to at least one student.

ECSU Chancellor Willie Gilchrist confirmed in a prepared statement Friday that the hazing incident occurred. But he did not say when or where, adding that officials are still compiling the facts on what took place.

“We are continuing our investigation into the alleged incidence of hazing involving our students,” he said. “It is important to have all of the facts before we take any disciplinary action. The safety of our students is our top objective, and we take the potential violation of our hazing policy very seriously.”

According to stophazing.com, an anti-hazing group, hazing “refers to any activity expected of someone joining a group (or to maintain full status in a group) that humiliates, degrades or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate.”

ECSU spokeswoman Kesha Williams said on Thursday that ECSU campus police were collaborating with both the State Bureau of Investigation and the district attorney’s office on the probe.

A SBI spokeswoman said Friday, however, that the agency has not yet received a request to investigate a hazing incident at ECSU.

District Attorney Frank Parrish said his office is looking into the incident, which apparently involves injuries.

“There is an investigation that is active at this moment of injuries that were sustained in a hazing incident at the university,” Parrish said. “Whether anybody will be charged with anything is still unknown at this point.”

Williams said hazing of students is a punishable offense at ECSU, and is not tolerated.

“University administrators do not condone hazing and will make every effort to make sure Greek organizations abide the hazing policy published in our student handbook and calendar,” she said.

“University administrators have a zero tolerance for hazing and will fully punish violators for their actions.”

School officials declined to confirm further details of the alleged hazing incident.

Family Wants Answers After UCF Fraternity Pledge Dies
Family, Attorney Say Student Was Pledge Who Died From Hazing

UPDATED: 11:50 pm EDT October 3, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. — Stinging new hazing allegations arose on Friday against a University of Central Florida fraternity.In the most recent case of possible hazing, a pledge died and family members said they’re not getting any answers as to what exactly happened.Family members said they want to know how a healthy 26-year-old UCF student could die so abruptly.
Their attorney said McAndy Douarin died at the hands of fraternity hazing without a full university investigation.Family and friends of the victim said they were shocked by the student’s death on Aug. 31.

Doctors said Douarin died of heart-related failure less than 12 hours after a punch to his chest.His family’s attorney said Douarin was a pledge of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity injured by fraternity hazing, but there was never an investigation.

A university representative said UCF has looked into his death, but there isn’t evidence of wrongdoing and the case has been closed.The family said it’s frustrated that there won’t be discipline for Douarin’s death.Also on the UCF campus, the Kappa Sigma fraternity has been suspended for hazing at a fraternity party pillow fight and for writing on a member with markers while he slept.Students having fun on campus Friday night said they’re fed up by what appears to be UCF’s double-discipline standard.

UCF representatives said they had video proof of the hazing at Kappa Sigma, but not in Douarin’s death.In a statement from Alpha Phi Alpha, the fraternity said it does not condone hazing and disputes that Douarin was a pledge, saying he hadn’t applied for membership.The family’s attorney said it’s not looking for a settlement, just answers from the Alpha brothers about what happened the night before Douarin died.

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