Fraternity members appeal charges of hazing accusations

The root of many fraternities' demise is in the controversial issue of hazing, a gauntlet of tasks members require pledges to perform. It has been the center of attention of many fraternity-related deaths, and is now a reason why another one of UNC's chapters may be disassociated with the university.

Delta Chi fraternity, a national fraternity organization that has been chartered on campus since 1984, has been accused of hazing by a pledge who didn't complete the initiation process of the fraternity.

At this time, Delta Chi is still in the process of an appeal. The fraternity will know if it will continue to be part of the university before the end of the week.

Ross Craft, a freshman chemistry major, said he was approached by Greek Life shortly after he left the fraternity. Craft told the faculty that there was alcohol dispensed within the house among the pledges who were then told to drink. He also mentioned an incident where the pledges were locked in the basement for a period of time.

"They have a lot of partying issues," Craft said. "Their priorities aren't in line." 
Joseph "J.J." Kimmell, a junior business management major and the sergeant-at-arms for Delta Chi, said they were notified shortly after Craft was dropped from the fraternity's pledge list.

"After we got the letter, we went into the Dean of Students Office and our president explained the situation," Kimmell said. "He brought eight different testimonial letters from members of Delta Chi saying that we didn't haze these pledges. We also brought a letter from Tim Olrick, our chapter adviser, saying he'd participated in these events before and that he had never seen us participating in these kinds of actions." 

Heather James, the coordinator for Greek Life, said the fraternity was barred from all campus activity the week of Nov. 9.

"Any time information is reported to us or a specific person says ‘I know this person did blank,' I have a duty to investigate that," James said. "That may mean I meet with certain people, but it doesn't mean myself or the university are on a malicious mission to bring a group down. We just do our best to find out the correct information."

According to the UNC Student Code of Conduct, hazing is defined as an act that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student. It is also defined as an act that destroys or removes public or private property for the purpose of initiation, admission into, affiliation with or as a condition for continued membership in a group or organization. The express or implied consent of the victim will not be a defense.

Kevin Huaman, the president of the Delta Chi chapter at the University of Northern Colorado, declined to comment on the issue.