Local New York fraternity in hot water: NY Daily News says

BY JOTHAM SEDERSTROM
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Sunday, October 14th 2007, 4:00 AM

A raucous fraternity has been suspended following an extreme hazing ritual in which a St. John’s University student allegedly was pressured to carry heavy objects and kneel for hours at a time.

The Sigma Chi Upsilon pledge was hospitalized in September after performing the humiliating tasks near the school’s Staten Island campus, according to a report yesterday.

“He wound up running himself into the ground,” a police source told the Staten Island Advance.

The New Jersey man, whose name has not been released, fainted from dehydration during the bizarre hazing ritual, and may have suffered spleen-related injuries.

Other pledges competing to become members of the Grymes Hill-based fraternity were unable to complete the odd series of tasks and eventually bowed out.

Police are investigating the incident, but no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed.

A spokesman for Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan said the office was aware of the situation, but had not opened an investigation into the incident.

Cops were trying to determine whether fraternity brothers forced the man to perform the grueling tasks.

It was unclear whether alcohol was involved.

The Grymes Hill campus houses seven fraternities and six sororities. About 475 of the campus’ 1,637 undergraduate students counted themselves as members last year.

Sigma Chi Upsilon does not have a national chapter.

A St. John’s spokeswoman did not return calls for comment.