Hazing reports at Penn State significantly increase, including at unrecognized fraternities

Penn State has received double the number of hazing reports compared to this time last year, the university said in a recent letter to parents, and noted that “multiple reports” of hazing and high-risk drinking behaviors were related to unrecognized fraternities.

As of Thursday, the university has received more than 70 fraternity- and sorority-life-related reports of “conduct issues” this semester, university spokesperson Wyatt DuBois told the CDT in an email. That includes hazing but it isn’t exclusive to hazing, he said, and includes both recognized and unrecognized groups.

The letter to parents specifically referenced receiving multiple reports of hazing and high-risk drinking about Phi Kappa Sigma and Sigma Chi, two independent chapters that are not associated with the university after separate suspensions.

Sigma Chi fraternity was previously suspended through Aug. 1, 2024 for “failure to comply with a directive or condition and other University policy violations,” according to Penn State’s student affairs site, and chose not to return.

In 2023 Phi Kappa Sigma, commonly known as Skulls, was suspended through fall 2027 after it was found to have “widespread and pervasive hazing behavior,” after an investigation by the university’s Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response. It has continued to operate unsanctioned by the university or the inter/national organization.

“As these groups fall outside of University oversight, we are working closely with local law enforcement to address issues when possible and share reports with their inter/national organizations for their review,” the letter to parents states.

DuBois said at this time, the university is unable to be more specific about how many of those 70-plus reports included a hazing component or how many came from an unrecognized group.

“We do know that there are accounts of misconduct within groups that do not have official University recognition and are operating without University oversight. We believe this is a serious situation that our community needs to be aware of,” DuBois said.

Some of the reported behaviors resulted in the need for medical attention, he said, something that the university takes seriously.

“The safety and well-being of our students are our top priorities, and we are providing support resources and ensuring that affected individuals receive any necessary care and assistance,” DuBois said.

In an emailed statement, Penn State’s Interfraternity Council, the governing body of the fraternity chapters at the university, said it is working closely with the university to address hazing concerns.

The council’s executive board said recent activities and education for Hazing Prevention Week may have resulted in more reports.

“We encourage students that if they see something, they should say something. These behaviors are absolutely unacceptable and are fully investigated by the University’s Office of Student Conduct and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (OFSL),” their statement reads. “It is the responsibility of the IFC and its members to ensure the safety of the entire community. In accordance with our by-laws on new membership regulations, the IFC maintains an unequivocal stance against hazing in any form and requires that new member education only last a maximum of 4 weeks for our member chapters.”

Unrecognized groups, such as Phi Kappa Sigma and Sigma Chi, also fall outside of the IFC’s oversight.

The IFC said it encourages member chapters to engage in “constructive, inspirational, and educational programs” for new members, such as chapter-hosted philanthropic events, community development projects and other council involvement initiatives.

The university urged parents and families to talk with their students about the dangers of hazing and the importance of reporting harmful behavior.

“We will continue to communicate openly with families and students to educate them about dangerous alcohol consumption, hazing, and organizations that are operating without our oversight,” DuBois said.

During Families Weekend (Oct. 18-20) there will be two educational sessions to learn more about hazing prevention and the university’s education efforts:

• Student Support Open House: The Office of Students Accountability and Conflict Response will have interactive activities related to student rights and responsibilities, conflict resolution and maintaining a safe and respectful campus community, a Q&A with student support specialists and refreshments from 5-7 p.m. on Oct. 18 at 120 Boucke Building.

• Fraternity and Sorority Life Family Information Session: Staff will discuss the four governing councils at Penn State, expectations of membership, the recruitment process, sorority/fraternity housing, university policies and more from 10 a.m. until noon on Oct. 20 at 233 HUB-Robeson Center.

The university also recently announced its Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life would conduct an external review with RISE Partnerships to review the state of fraternity and sorority life at Penn State, and the impact of changes made since 2017 following the death of Timothy Piazza.

Piazza was a 19-year-old engineering student from New Jersey and pledge at the now-defunct chapter of Beta Theta Pi. He fell and later died after a night of excessive drinking at the fraternity. The former fraternity’s president and vice president and pledge master were recently sentenced in connection with Piazza’s death, and an anti-hazing bill — shaped partly by Piazza’s death — recently moved on to the U.S. Senate.