The national Sigma Nu fraternity gutted its Boulder chapter this week when it suspended 27 of the 29 members because of hazing.
Several incidents last fall during the fraternity’s rush period led to the suspensions, said Brad Beacham, executive director of Sigma Nu Fraternity Inc.
He declined to reveal specifics about what happened but said the incidents fell on the severe end of the range of actions the national fraternity considers to be hazing.
“These were serious violations of our policies,” he said.
No students were hospitalized as a result of the hazings, Beacham said. And the Boulder Police Department does not have any record of problems at the fraternity last fall, a spokeswoman said.
Ron Stump, the University of Colorado at Boulder’s vice chancellor for student affairs, said fraternity members involved in hazing could face discipline from the university.
For those affiliated with the Greek system at CU – and the majority of CU students are not – the suspensions were another disappointing blow to the system’s reputation. Brad Long, one the three leaders of CU’s student government and a member of a fraternity, said the suspensions were disheartening but necessary to clean up the Greek system.
“It may appear from the outside like fraternities are getting phased out,” he said. “But really what’s happening is the Interfraternity Council and the Greek system are making a turn. In past years, we’ve lost a couple of good chapters, but for good reason. In order to move the Greek system in the right direction, those who aren’t on board are going to get left behind.”
Last year, the fraternities severed ties with the university after refusing to accept new regulations that require rush – the time when new members join the groups – be done in the spring. The sororities agreed to the rules.
In the past two years, both the Phi Kappa Tau and the Chi Psi fraternities lost their charters amid much-publicized incidents. In the Chi Psi case, a pledge, 18-year-old Lynn Gordon “Gordie” Bailey Jr., died in the house after a night of heavy drinking.
Last spring, Sigma Nu underwent a “brotherhood review,” in which several members were asked not to return, said Marc D. Stine, a spokesman and advocate for fraternities in Boulder. Those who did, Stine said, made a commitment to behave well.
“Some of those guys obviously did not live up the commitment they made last spring,” Stine said.
The remaining two members will join with about 15 newly initiated freshmen to rebuild the fraternity. Stine said they will keep recruiting throughout the semester to build up the membership rolls.
“I think Sigma Nu was lucky and I think the fraternity system here was lucky that nobody was seriously injured or killed in this series of events,” Stine said. “I expect Sigma Nu to come back over the next several years a bigger and better brotherhood.”
Staff writer John Ingold can be reached at 720-929-0898 or jingold@denverpost.com.
