Repeat offenders among USC fraternities cited for hazing, alcohol

Five student organizations at the University of South Carolina were cited with alcohol, hazing or other violations in spring semester 2019.

All five organizations were all-male fraternities, according to USC documents. The violations were primarily for hazing and alcohol, documents show.

Two organizations, Chi Psi and Alpha Epsilon Pi, both received separate violations in spring semester.

Chi Psi was cited for allegedly failing to initiate pledges in the USC-required time frame. Later in the semester, Chi Psi was cited after a university officer walked through the house and found alcohol “paraphernalia” and fire hazards. The fraternity was also cited for unspecified property damage and theft, USC documents show.

Chi Psi will be on probation until May 23, 2020.

Alpha Epsilon Pi was cited for allegedly lying to USC by saying it initiated pledges in the required time frame when it hadn’t. Later in the semester, Chi Psi was also cited for hazing after a tip alleged the fraternity was hazing pledges and had been hazing in previous semesters, USC documents show.

Alpha Epsilon Pi will be on probation until Dec. 31, 2019.

The Kappa Alpha Order was cited for possession or consumption of alcohol and for unspecified property damage. For that, the fraternity was assessed a fine. Kappa Alpha was cited in fall 2018 for hazing.

Two other Greek organizations were also cited for violations:

Phi Gamma Delta, often referred to as “fiji,” was cited for an alcohol violation after allegedly bringing alcohol to a “new member retreat.” Fiji was assessed a fine and given “educational sanctions,” USC documents show.

Kappa Sigma was cited for allegedly having alcohol “paraphernalia” in the chapter house. Kappa Sigma received a fine.

S.C. universities are required to post all fraternity and sorority violations on the school’s website, according to the Tucker Hipps Transparency Act. The law was named for a Clemson University student who died in 2014 in an incident his parents believe was related to hazing.

This story was originally published July 26, 2019 at 1:27 PM.