Roundup: Greek Organizations in Trouble

It's been an interesting couple of weeks for Greek-letter organizations nationwide. Five words: bad, bad fraternities and sororities.

At Miami University in Ohio, the Tri Delta sorority has been suspended for two years by its national organization for hazing, the Miami Student reports. According to the university's formal charges against the sorority, several pledges required medical attention after they were taken off campus, blindfolded, and forced to drink "excessive amounts of alcohol" at a January 29 event, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Also at Miami, the Sigma Nu fraternity has been suspended for two semesters by the university. The school found the fraternity guilty of violating university alcohol policies and engaging in disorderly conduct at a December 6 event, where a fight broke out between organization members and bar patrons, requiring police presence. The school's report also said that a bus driver accused the group of being "unruly and violent" and that underage members had been allowed to drink alcohol. Sigma Nu already has appealed the suspension and had it reduced from an original penalty of three semesters. Sigma Nu's adviser told the Miami Student that "it is upsetting that the actions of a few individuals, which we don't endorse or approve, have affected the more than 90 members that are in Sigma Nu."

Penn State's Beta Theta Pi fraternity was officially disbanded by its national organization last week and will be forced to vacate its house by the second week of March, the Daily Collegian reports. The fraternity was put on interim suspension after numerous allegations of policy violations, including hazing. The group was formally disbanded after "the chapter disregarded imposed sanctions."

The Alpha Tau Omega fraternity at De Pauw was put on probation last week, while two other fraternities, Phi Kappa Psi and Delta Tau Delta, had their probations extended, the De P auw reports. All the punishments are related to party and alcohol violations. The Delta president declined to comment; Phi Kappa Psi's president says, "It's a temporary thing"; and ATO's president, while accepting the probation, says, "We felt that punishment didn't fit the violation we had."