The Theta Chi and Sigma Alpha Mu fraternities had their Fraternal Organization Agreements suspended by the University, while the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity had its FOA terminated after allegations of hazing, according to Ben Ueltschey, Inter-fraternity Council president and third-year College student. While the Theta Chi and Sigma Alpha Mu fraternities face temporary suspensions, the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity will have its FOA terminated for a minimum of four years. It is unclear when the violations in all three chapters took place or when the University moved to suspend and terminate their FOAs.
The University suspends a chapter’s FOA while it investigates any reports of violations against University policies or Standards of Conduct. If the University finds no evidence of wrongdoing, the chapter can be restored. If it does find evidence of wrongdoing, it can terminate the chapter’s FOA or refer the case to the University Judiciary Committee for further investigation and sanctioning.
In an unlisted video posted to YouTube by the Pi Kappa Alpha Memorial Headquarters, Justin A. Buck, executive vice president of the national Pi Kappa Alpha organization, said the University's chapter is confirmed to have engaged in severe, unspecified hazing behavior that led to their termination.
“This action was taken following the confirmed abhorrent and detestable hazing activities by individuals,” Buck said in the video statement.
Buck did not share additional details about the hazing, but added that he supports what he called “individual pursuit” by the University against over 20 members of Pi Kappa Alpha, which he said could lead to their expulsion.
Additionally, Buck said the Pi Kappa Alpha national organization plans to pursue civil litigation against individual members of the chapter who are responsible for the hazing incidents.
“The fraternity will be pursuing civil litigation against the president, the new member educator, the new member education team and several others who were directly involved and responsible,” Buck said.
Buck added in a statement to The Cavalier Daily that litigation will be pursued for violation of the fraternity’s membership agreement, financial loss and for reputational damages to Pi Kappa Alpha.
The University’s chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha is the founding chapter of the fraternity, which was founded in West Range room 47 in 1868. The termination of their FOA marks the second suspension or termination this semester of a fraternity that was founded at the University. Kappa Sigma fraternity — founded in Lawn room 46 in 1869 — had its FOA suspended after it allegedly engaged in hazing behavior that led to the hospitalization of a student.
Pi Kappa Alpha’s termination brings the total number of FOA terminations to three in the past two years, along with the Kappa Alpha and Phi Gamma Delta fraternities, whose FOAs were terminated in 2022.
The Theta Chi and Sigma Alpha Mu fraternities also had their FOAs suspended by the University for hazing investigations, according to Ueltschey, though he provided no additional details as investigations are ongoing. Representatives from Theta Chi and Sigma Alpha Mu’s chapters at the University did not respond to requests for comment.
Harper Jones, chair of UJC and third-year College student, said in a statement to The Cavalier Daily that while the UJC did not issue the suspension of the FOAs, the Committee will investigate any organizational cases if they are referred to UJC by Student Affairs following the investigations.
Deputy University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover said in a statement to The Cavalier Daily that the details of the hazing incidents will be added to the University’s hazing misconduct website in the coming weeks as a result of Virginia’s anti-hazing Adam’s Law.
A representative from the University’s Pi Kappa Alpha chapter did not respond to request for comment at the time of this article’s publishing.
This is a developing story. Updates will be made to this article as additional information becomes available.
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