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The Bloomsburg Voice. Greek life ended at BU following two deaths and many incidents linked to Greek life.

All Greek life at Bloomsburg is halted permanently following the tragic death of two students and a string of recent transgressions.

The news broke early this afternoon in an email sent from President Hanna to all BU students. It states, “Dear BU Community: Effective immediately, Bloomsburg University is terminating its fraternity and sorority life (FSL) program and severing ties with all national and local FSL organizations currently affiliated with the University. All students are reminded that their conduct remains subject to all applicable University policies, including: PRP 4802 – Student Code of Conduct and Judicial Process.”

This past Saturday Leah Burke, a sophomore nursing major, passed away following an incident that is still under investigation. The tragic event took place outside of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity house.

Another student, Justin King was found dead in an embankment in September of 2019. King’s death is also linked to Greek life as he attended a fraternity rush party and was given excess amounts of alcohol prior to his death.

In late January 2021, four Greek life organizations, Sigma Iota Omega, Chi Theta Pi, Kappa Delta Rho, and Lambda Chi Alpha were suspended for various misconducts. Some of the offenses included sexual misconduct, multiple accounts of hazing, and hosting a large gathering during the pandemic.

The Voice will continue to provide updates as more information is gathered.

By Hank Nuwer

Journalist Hank Nuwer tracks hazing deaths in fraternities and schools. Nuwer is the Alaska author of Hazing: Destroying Young Lives; Broken Pledges: The Deadly Rite of Hazing, High School Hazing, Wrongs of Passage and The Hazing Reader. In April of 2024 and April 2025 , the Alaska Press Club awarded him first place in the Best Columnist division and Best Humorist, second place.

He has written articles or columns on hazing for the Sunday Times of India, Toronto Globe & Mail, Harper's Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, The Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times Sunday Magazine. His current book is Hazing: Destroying Young Lives from Indiana University Press. He is married to Malgorzata Wroblewska Nuwer of Warsaw, Poland and Fairbanks, Alaska. Nuwer is a former columnist for the Greenville (Ohio)Early Bird and former managing editor of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Alaska.
Nuwer was named the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists columnist of the year in 2021 for his “After Darke” column in the Early Bird. He also won third place for the column in 2022 from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He and his wife Gosia, recently of Union City, Ind., have owned 20 acres in Alaska for many years. “The move is a sort-of coming home for us,” said Nuwer. As a journalist, he’s written about the Alaskan Iditarod sled-dog race and other Alaska topics. Read his musings in his blog at Real Alaska Daily--http://realalaskadaily.com and in his weekly column "Far from Randolph" in the Winchester Star-Gazette of Randolph County, Indiana.

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