SUU's Sigma Nu suspended after hazing incident
January 21, 2012 - The national Sigma Nu organization has indefinitely suspended Southern Utah University's chapter of the fraternity following an incident of hazing that occurred last year. The group's activities were placed on hold after the hazing incident came to light. A one-year probationary period put in place by SUU was changed this week to an indefinite suspension by the national Sigma Nu office. Read more...

Pi Kappa Alpha gets one-year suspension from Greek Council
January 11, 2012 - The Gamma Epsilon chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha has been given a one-year suspension by the Greek Council, according to Utah State University officials. The decision comes months after a party during homecoming week resulted in a 17-year-old girl being taken to the hospital after consuming too much alcohol. Two men were charged with misdemeanor alcohol offenses. Read more...

The Brutal Side of Hazing
December 9, 2011 - The tragic loss of Robert Champion may be another sad case of a college student literally dying to belong. Champion, a drum major for Florida A&M University’s famous marching band, died on a bus a few weeks ago after a performance. The suspected culprit: physical hazing, a behavior that’s proving remarkably resistant to being scrubbed from our culture. Read more...

UC Davis Fraternity Accused of Hazing
November 10, 2011 - Fox40.com - Mark Demsky reports - Watch the video...

USU accused of ignoring fraternity’s hazing and alcohol activities!
August 18, 2009 - Legal news for Utah wrongful death attorney’s. Utah State University sued for ignoring fraternity’s hazing and underage drinking. Utah wrongful death attorney- Utah State University accused of ignoring Greek system activities which a Sigma Nu fraternity pledge dead from alcohol poisoning. Read more...

7 indicted in connection with death of Radford University student
September 20, 2011 - Seven men have been charged with hazing and supplying alcohol to an underage person in connection with the death last year of a Radford University student. Samuel Harris Mason, 20, of Chesterfield County was found dead at a home on Fairfax Street the morning of Oct. 15. A medical examiner found that he died of acute ethanol poisoning. Read more...

Our Son by George Starks
September 19, 2011 - Our son died in the early morning hours of November 21, 2008. He was 18 years old and had been at college for less than three months. On the 20 of November – one day earlier – we, as a family could have written on a matchbook cover everything we knew about hazing. Now, nearly three years later, we know more than we ever wanted to know about this epidemic that continues to strike college campuses. Read more...

Texas Students Should Learn From Recent Fraternity Hazing Death
September 9, 2011 - In the past several years, more people have taken notice of the extreme college hazing rituals pervading Texas universities. While sorority and fraternity hazing have been around as long as the organizations themselves, it seems that the severity of these hazing rituals has dramatically increased. Read more...

Cornell bans pledging in its Greek system
August 27, 2011 - Cornell University is banning pledging in its Greek system. President David Skorton said, in part, fraternities and sororities must stop the current system “because it fosters hazing and other activities ... that often pose psychological harm and immediate physical danger to those involved.” Read more...

University announces ban on freshman-year rush
August 23, 2011 - The University will ban students from participating in freshman rush, it announced on Tuesday. The ban will take effect beginning in fall 2012, with members of the Class of 2016 prohibited from affiliating with fraternities or sororities for the duration of their freshman year, and members of other classes prohibited from conducting any sort of rush activities for freshmen. Read more...

A Pledge to End Fraternity Hazing
August 23, 2011 - In February, a 19-year-old Cornell sophomore died in a fraternity house while participating in a hazing episode that included mock kidnapping, ritualized humiliation and coerced drinking. While the case is still in the courts, the fraternity chapter has been disbanded and those indicted in connection with the death are no longer enrolled here. Read more...

USC freezes frats’ fall rush, details emerge
August 20, 2011 - A student drank so much he became “unresponsive” at a fraternity recruitment party and was taken to a hospital by ambulance, one of six drinking-related violations that occurred this week as students returned to the University of South Carolina. As a result, USC has suspended fraternity rush while school officials call meetings with Greek advisers and students to discuss what they consider a blasé attitude about alcohol on campus. Read more...

Parents, Teens Discuss Perils of College Drinking Culture
July 26, 2011 - "There is no such thing as responsible drinking for anyone under age 21," said Jeff Levy, whose son died after a college drinking party. Levy spoke as a panel member at the Perils of the College Drinking Culture forum, co-sponsored by the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County Public Schools and the Fairfax County Police Department. Read more...

Suit filed against fraternity in NY hazing death
June 28, 2011 - The mother of a 19-year-old Cornell University student who died during an alcohol-related fraternity hazing ritual has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the national fraternity. Marie Lourdes Andre filed the lawsuit Monday in Brooklyn against the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.  The suit seeks at least $25 million in damages.  Read more...

Making Deferred Recruitment Work
June 21, 2011 - recent trend in the Greek world is moving toward deferred recruitment. That is, more and more colleges and universities are establishing regulations that determine that first-term students cannot be extended a bid or initiated until a designated time, which is a certain period after the beginning of school.  Read more...

Middle-schoolers suspended, referred to police for alleged hazing incident
May 24, 2011 - Two Mount Logan Middle School students were suspended from class and referred to juvenile court following a Friday incident police say involves bullying. Logan Assistant Police Chief Jeff Curtis said two boys used duct tape to bind the hands and feet of a male classmate.  Read more...

Hazing, unlawfully dealing with child among grand jury charges in death of Cornell student
May 5, 2011 - At least three men have been indicted by a grand jury in connection with the death of Cornell University sophomore George Desdunes, according to documents from Tompkins County Court released on Thursday.  Read more...

Insurer settles suit with former USU frat members
May 1, 2011 - A Georgia insurance company that paid a wrongful death claim on behalf of a former Utah State University fraternity has settled the lawsuit it brought against four of the fraternity's members.  Read more...

Lehigh University chapter of Delta Tau Delta suspended for alleged hazing
March 31, 2011 - The Lehigh University chapter of Delta Tau Delta has been suspended by its national organization over hazing, thus ending all of the fraternity’s campus activities, university officials said.  Read more...

KU’s fraternity governing body is accused of hazing
February 5, 2011 - An organization charged with leadership and governance of fraternities at the University of Kansas has been accused of hazing — a ritual that has plagued fraternities across the country. The university says it will sanction the Interfraternity Council after finding that members of the council’s executive board paddled others during a leadership transition ceremony in November.  Read more...

Family of hazing victim settles USU lawsuit
January 26, 2011 - The family of a Utah State University freshman who died of alcohol poisoning in a 2008 hazing incident has agreed to dismiss their lawsuit against the Logan school after USU officials signaled they will “fine-tune” measures related to alcohol awareness and hazing.  Read more...

No money settlement agreed to in USU student hazing death
January 26, 2011 - Parents settled a lawsuit with Utah State University over the death of their son who died from alcohol poisoning during a fraternity hazing incident. The settlement does not involve any monetary payout.   Read more...

Father of Hazing Victim Speaks Out
January 26, 2011 - After keeping silent for weeks, the father whose son was allegedly hazed by students on the Churchill County wrestling team is speaking out. He says he is doing so not only to shed some light on what happened, but to try and ensure it doesn't happen to someone else's child.   Read more...

UT fraternity Kappa Delta Rho surprises Boys and Girls Club
December 4, 2010 - Men of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity at the University of Toledo gave back to their community this holiday season. The fraternity members say they saw the Boys and Girls Club of Toledo didn't have much athletic equipment to play with.  Read more...

Hazing complaint halts Pi Kappa Alpha activities
November 24, 2010 - An anonymous hazing complaint is crippling a Utah fraternity. Pi Kappa Alpha at the University of Utah is not allowed to operate until its national headquarters investigates the claim.  Read more...

VIDEO: University of Alberta hazing video
October 22, 2010 - CBC News has exclusively obtained portions of the video at the centre of hazing allegations at the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. The incidents are alleged to have occurred in January 2010. Students were allegedly confined in a box, made to eat their own vomit and forced to go without sleep. Read more...

Wabash College named by parents in wrongful death suit
September 24, 2010 - The parents of a Wabash College freshman who died of alcohol poisoning after a fraternity house party two years ago have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school.  Read more...

USF Fraternity Omega Psi Phi Is Suspended for Off-Campus Hazing
September 4, 2010 - The University of South Florida chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity has been suspended while detectives investigate allegations of two nights of off-campus hazing, officials said this week.  Read more...

Rally to send anti-hazing message
September 2, 2010 - In the middle of an investigation into a USF fraternity accused of hazing, one student hopes to let the community know that “Bulls don’t haze.” Nicole Garcia, a senior majoring in governmental affairs, has organized an “anti-hazing rally” for today at 12:45 p.m. at the Marshall Student Center Plaza. Read more...

Starkeys approved of Cal Poly fraternity role for son
July 16, 2010 - If Carson Starkey had waited until after his first quarter at Cal Poly to decide whether to join a fraternity, he’d still be alive, the parents of the freshman said Thursday. Scott and Julia Starkey recently spoke with The Tribune in their first media interview about their son’s death on Dec. 2, 2008, from an alcohol-related hazing incident.  Read more...

2 more fraternity brothers sentenced in alcohol hazing death at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
July 9, 2010 - Two more former students at California Polytechnic State University have been sentenced to jail for hazing a freshman who died of alcohol poisoning while pledging a fraternity.  Read more...

Utah gov OKs bill targeting hazing-related deaths
March 29, 2010 - Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has signed a bill intended to make fraternities and sororities think twice about hazing practices.  House Bill 138 was signed on Saturday.  It raises the penalty for a hazing-related death involving drugs and alcohol from a class B to class A misdemeanor.  Read more...

Judge rejects USU's immunity claim in hazing death
March 4, 2010 - Utah State University is not immune from civil liability in the hazing death of fraternity pledge Michael Starks, 1st District Judge Clint S. Judkins ruled Thursday. An 18-year-old freshman from Salt Lake City, Starks died of alcohol poisoning after a Rush Week activity Nov. 20, 2008. More than a dozen Sigma Nu fraternity and Chi Omega sorority members were prosecuted for related misdemeanors. Read more...

Hazing is often assault
February 27, 2010 - Too bad it takes a tragedy to wake people up. That lament has been heard more than once. The truth is, change can be so uncomfortable that people often need a little push to get them going. And such seems to be the case with HB138, a bill sponsored by Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, that would make alcohol- and drug-related hazing a "class A" misdemeanor.  Read more...

Intoxicated minors need not fear to call for help, says Senate panel
February 22, 2010 - A Senate committee gave a unanimous thumbs-up to a bill that would give consideration for good behavior to an intoxicated minor who calls for emergency medical care for another underage drinker.  Read more...

House OKs bill targeting hazing-related deaths
February 22, 2010 - The Utah House has passed a bill intended to make fraternities and sororities think twice about hazing practices.  Read more...

Alcohol- fueled Hazing Law Goes Forward in Utah
February 20, 2010 - A pair of bills filed in response to the binge-drinking death of a Utah State University freshman moved forward Wednesday in the Utah House. But the family of Michael Starks, the fraternity pledge who died in the 2008 incident prosecuted as a hazing, feels the measures do not go far enough in protecting college students from booze-fueled initiation events.  Read more...

Hazing scandal lingers in campus atmosphere
February 18, 2010 - The death of James Callahan, an 18-year-old Lambda Chi Alpha pledge forced to drink more than 20 ounces of alcohol in 30 to 45 minutes at a fraternity party on Feb. 12, 1988, led the University to begin reforming its greek system.  Read more...

Utah House Committee passes Hazing bill
February 18, 2010 - Monday was a big win for the family of a USU student that died from a hazing incident last  year.  Read more...

Utah House panel OKs bill to stiffen penalties for alcohol-fueled hazing: Legislature falls short of family's goals
February 18, 2010 - A pair of bills filed in response to the binge-drinking death of a Utah State University freshman moved forward Wednesday in the Utah House.  Read more...

Hazing bill softened
February 18, 2010 - Lawmakers have watered down a bill that would increase the legal consequences of hazing.  Read more...

Lawmaker Hopes Bill Encourages Underage Drinkers to Report Alcohol Poisoning
February 8, 2010 - A state lawmaker is hoping to encourage teens involved in underage drinking to seek help when someone is suffering from alcohol poisoning.  Read more...

Legislative Education Committee seeks feedback on effectiveness of Utah laws prohibiting student hazing
Senator Howard Stephenson and Representative Greg Hughes, the committee chairs of the legislative Interim Education Committee announced today that the committee will be investigating the problem of hazing within the State of Utah and would like to hear from the public.  Read more...

A call for help with no fear of arrest
November 5, 2009 - The Starks family has an important message for Utah college students: hazing can kill.  The family knows firsthand.  Michael Starks, 18, died of alcohol poisoning in a hazing incident one year ago this month.  Read more...

Michael Stark's brothers speak at alcohol awareness seminar
October 2, 2009 - The family of the Utah State University student who died of alcohol poisoning spoke to a group of University of Utah students Friday night.   Read more...

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

UNC to Consider Deferred Rush
August 22, 2009 - Following the lead of another system school, UNC-Chapel Hill officials say they will revisit the option of pushing freshman rush from fall to spring semester. Jay Anhorn, director of UNC-CH Greek affairs, said he will urge the Chancellor's Committee on Greek Affairs to study the deferred rush option this year.  Read more...

Hazing took back seat in Starks case
August 9, 2009 - At the outset of prosecuting the criminal proceedings that resulted from the alcohol-related death of Utah State University student Michael Starks, the Cache County Attorney's Office filed hazing charges against 12 individuals. Now, more than eight months after Starks' death, all 12 of those charges have been dismissed entirely.   Read more...

Utah State University hazing charges are not sticking
July 21, 2009 - Six months after Cache County filed hazing charges against 12 Utah State University students and their Greek-letter societies, no one stands convicted of hazing in connection with the November alcohol poisoning of fraternity pledge Michael Starks.   Read more...

Tragic consequences on Utah State Campus - Underage binge drinking leads to death
February 10, 2009 - Michael Starks, 18 and a freshman at Utah State University, is dead. Starks' friends watched and challenged him to drink three-fourths of a liter of vodka in an hour on Nov. 18, 2008. When he passed out, his friends called Poison Control. The Utah State University fraternity brothers asked the operator for signs of alcohol poisoning.  Read more...

Utah State Sorority and Fraternity Charged With Felony Hazing
January 5, 2009 - A Utah State sorority and fraternity have been charged with felony hazing in relation to the alcohol poisoning death of a freshman fraternity pledge in November, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Twelve members were also charged with misdemeanors.  Read more...

Utah State death blamed on hazing
January 4, 2009 - The death of an 18-year-old Utah State University student has resulted in a campus sorority and fraternity facing hazing charges, authorities say. Authorities have charged the Sigma Nu fraternity and Chi Omega sorority, along with 12 of their members, in the death of freshman Michael Starks, The Salt Lake Tribune reported Friday. Read more...

Hazing charged in Utah State teen's death
January 3, 2009 - A fraternity and sorority at Utah State University were charged with felony hazing after an 18-year-old freshman pledge died of alcohol poisoning. The school's chapters of the Sigma Nu fraternity and Chi Omega sorority were each charged Friday with one count of third-degree felony hazing for their involvement with the death of Michael Starks.  Read more...

Sexual shaming and hazing at USU - now with extra felony charges!
January 2, 2009 - The week before Starks died, Sigma Nu members selected him and another student, 22-year-old Mackenzie Perry, as their top choices among the 16 young men who pledged last fall. At the time, Starks was staying at the fraternity, although he had a dorm room. At about 10 p.m. on Nov. 20, Sigma Nu member Christopher Ammon brought Starks and Perry to the Chi Omega sorority next door under the pretext of helping move furniture. Read more...

Police investigating student death as part of fraternity initiation
November 21, 2008 - A Utah State University student died early this morning, and police believe it was because of alcohol poisoning tied to a fraternity initiation week.  Both Utah State and the Sigma Nu Fraternity, where Michael Starks was a pledge, are stressing their anti-hazing and underage drinking policies tonight. But police think both may have been involved in this young man's death.  Read more...