U-Md. fraternities criticize pause on social activities amid hazing concerns
Days after the University of Maryland ordered 37 fraternities and sororities to stop holding social activities where alcohol is served, some Greek life organizations criticized the move, as the school said it was mounting an investigation amid concerns about hazing.
In a letter to some Greek life organization presidents Friday, officials with U-Md.’s Division of Student Affairs said multiple chapters have been accused of misconduct that has “threatened the safety and well-being of members of the University community.” The school declined to detail any specific incidents it found troubling.
U-Md. indefinitely suspended “new member” activities and placed a moratorium on all events held on or off campus where alcohol is served pending an investigation. The order affects 21 fraternities and 16 sororities that are members of the Interfraternity Council (IFC) or the Panhellenic Association (PHA). The university’s 13 multicultural Greek life organizations and its five historically Black fraternities and sororities were not included in the order.
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“This directive means that every current member of the organization must not contact any new member or prospective new member via in-person, telephone, postal mail, any electronic means (including social media), or third-party communication,” according to the letter, the contents of which were first reported Friday evening by the Diamondback student newspaper.
In statements Monday, three Greek life organizations criticized the partial shutdown, saying that the university had not explained the reasons for the new restrictions or given the affected organizations an opportunity to defend themselves.
Spencer Doyle, a junior in finance and marketing from Towson, Md., and chapter president of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, said the organization doesn’t condone hazing.
“This shut down was so sudden and we’re frustrated with no answers. It is not fair to chapters operating the right way,” Doyle said in a statement.
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Garrett Thomas Bruce, president of the Kappa Alpha Order, said that “all groups and the university should be working together to combat hazing that may exist on this campus.”
“However, this current blanket suspension for every organization across two Greek Councils is counterproductive and damages our relationships,” Bruce said in a statement. “It is an infringement on our individually afforded rights, and unfairly does reputational harm, most especially for those organizations who are not under investigation.”
Katie Lawson, a U-Md. spokeswoman, said the decision was not made in response to a specific incident but is a preventive measure.
“This is about looking at reports and observations and some data and feeling like we are seeing a pattern that we wanted to disrupt,” she said. “We all know that taking actions to put safety as a priority is the right thing to do.”
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Lawson said the school would use an “external resource” to assist with the investigation. That inquiry will help determine when activities can resume, she said.
Judson Horras, president of the North American Interfraternity Conference, said in a statement that the organization’s members “stand ready to hold the few involved in misconduct accountable while advocating for students who uphold fraternal expectations and provide thousands of young men a positive fraternity experience.”
However, Horras said, the University of Maryland’s unwillingness to point to specific allegations was harmful.
“Since our members’ top priority is health and safety, we oppose system-wide actions which research shows disincentivizes future reporting and fosters a culture of mistrust among student and administrators,” he said in the statement.
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One Jewish fraternity on campus was targeted with antisemitic comments on social media because other students wrongfully thought its actions led to the school’s investigation, according to Horras.
“We are deeply concerned for safety and well-being of Jewish members of the campus community,” Libby Anderson, the chief executive of the Jewish fraternity Zeta Beta Tau, said in a statement. “We intend to actively partner with the University of Maryland in putting an end to these attacks and protect our students.”
The restrictions in College Park come as, in a separate move, some Greek life organizations at the University of Virginia voluntarily suspended social events for three weeks amid allegations that a student there was injured by hazing.
The student fell backward down a long flight of stairs in the fraternity chapter house where he was pledging and was knocked unconscious, according to a parent of a student who had witnessed the scene. The parent spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution.
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The school’s Inter-Fraternity Council said it was aware of the Feb. 21 incident involving a student. Last week, the council “collectively voted to enact a voluntary three-week suspension of new member activities and social events,” according to a statement from Ben Ueltschey, the council president.
Ueltschey said “all new membership processes, including initiations, are halted until March 20th at 11:59 pm,” and no parties or other social events would be held during that period.
“This decision was made in an effort to demonstrate our community’s commitment to anti-hazing practices and out of respect for the ongoing situation,” Ueltschey said in the statement. “The University has supported our decision; they have not issued any restrictions on the IFC as we have taken on this responsibility ourselves. We will continue to take action as needed as investigations are completed and the situation unfolds.”
Susan Svrluga and Lauren Lumpkin contributed to this report.
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