Hazing allegations led a fraternity to close its chapter and expel all members at the University of Iowa.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon announced the decision Monday, September 24, 2012.
“This decision by the national organization comes as a result of hazing and the chapter’s failure to comply with our standards, guidelines and policies set forth by the membership agreement and Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s governing laws,” said a statement posted to the fraternity’s website.
“Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s board of directors will not tolerate hazing or behavior that violates risk-management policies or the general guidelines for chapter operations. The organization expects its chapters to adhere to stringent policies and practices that help our members become gentlemen and leaders, and to live up to our creed and principles,” the statement said.
In addition to losing fraternity membership, the expelled members will have to make other arrangements for housing. That means about 90 former members have ten days to move out of the SAE house.
A statement from the University of Iowa said there are currently no university-owned housing spaces available for the displaced students.
The university statement supports the SAE national organization’s “swift action,” calling the hazing incident an “aberration and perversion of the values that hundreds of fraternity and sorority members work hard to uphold.”
The university is continuing its investigation into the alleged hazing incident.
“We view the relationship with the University of Iowa as a partnership, and we hope to return to the campus in the future,” the fraternity statement said. The SAE chapter had been at the University of Iowa for 107 years.
