Arrest Warrants Issued For Nearly 50 Fraternity Members In Hazing Incident
Nearly 50 college students have been issued warrants for arrest following a horrific fraternity hazing incident in New Hampshire.
Fraternity hazing is once again being investigated as arrest warrants for 46 New Hampshire students have been issued. The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Beta Chapter is under scrutiny involving events that took place on Wednesday, April 13th. 10 students have already been arrested and scheduled for trial on July 13th.
A spokesperson for New Hampshire University has confirmed that the college is cooperating with police and that they take hazing seriously. Sigma Alpha Epsilon has condemned hazing, a crime which comes with a $1,200 misdemeanor fine per person or $20 thousand for organizations. While details regarding the incident have yet to be released, it is known that school officials contacted law enforcement regarding the events of the night in question. An investigation followed, and fraternity hazing of new members has been alleged.
How this case plays out depends on the severity of what took place, but fraternity hazing has been the source of many lawsuits over the years. One of the most recent cases involved a University of Missouri student. He was forced to drink a bottle of vodka and later passed out. When frat members decided to drive him to the hospital for medical attention they dropped him trying to get to the car. What may seem like silly college party behavior quickly turned into a nightmare for the student’s family. The student has lost the ability to talk and walk, and he cannot see. His family is suing because no one called 9-1-1 even though video footage clearly displays concerning behavior.
A student at Michigan State University died of alcohol intoxication after a fraternity hazing event in November 2021, and three former students were charged in relation to the incident just last week. The Pi Alpha Phi frat has been banned by the college and the former students connected to the death are facing up to 15 years in jail and a $10,000 fine. One witness admitted that “everyone knew what was going on.” Another testified that a pledge was seen convulsing with a nose bleed.
Another incident involved female students at a military school, displaying that fraternity hazing is not the only questionable behavior being experienced on campus. In this case, sorority members have been investigated for waterboarding other students. With each investigation, crackdowns on hazing have increased, but unfortunately wreckless fraternities and cruel student actions are generally punished after someone gets hurt. This has become such a concern that hazingprevention.org was formed to offer a new approach to keeping college students safe. The organization notes that at least one student has died every year due to hazing rituals for at least 50 years. Their goal is to provide students, parents, teachers, sports clubs, schools, and other organizations with the information needed to help stop hazing.
Whether the next school year will be free of another hazing death is uncertain, but for now, the 46 students involved in the latest fraternity hazing investigation are paying the price for excessive harassment. Just what happened at New Hampshire University and who was harmed on April 13th is of serious interest. It comes as two other high-profile hazing-related cases move forward, and serves as a cautionary tale to college students waiting to start classes in the fall.
