A fraternity at Miami University in Ohio has been suspended after a student reported extreme hazing, according to a report obtained by ABC News. The report, filed by a member of another fraternity, described the alleged mistreatment of a student who was forced to join Sigma Alpha Epsilon and then endured several days of hazing.
The student was allegedly pressured into cutting off contact with others and had to go through harsh initiation rituals. One of the most disturbing claims in the report was that he was forced to swallow an entire can of chewing tobacco and then do a handstand. This caused him to vomit, and he was then ordered to eat the vomit, though he refused.
Additionally, pledges were allegedly made to do wall sits while covered in baby oil, and they had to drink alcohol every time they slipped. They were also confined to a basement and could only leave for food and showers.
Another shocking claim in the report was that an active fraternity member threatened a pledge with a firearm. The message allegedly said he would hold a “12-gauge” shotgun to the pledge’s mouth and “watch his brain splatter.”
The student who was being hazed eventually reached out to the person who filed the report, asking to join his fraternity instead. He said Sigma Alpha Epsilon was not the right place for him and sounded scared during their phone conversation.
When he told Sigma Alpha Epsilon he wanted to leave, the members reportedly tried to persuade him to stay. They told him that “the first week is always the hardest” and that he would eventually understand why they did these things. Some members admitted that hazing was done just for the sake of it, the report claimed.
After the report was filed, the university decided to suspend the fraternity while an investigation took place. Miami University confirmed the suspension in a statement to local news outlet WCPO. The statement said that the university’s Office of Community Standards is investigating the fraternity for hazing allegations.
So far, neither the local chapter nor the national Sigma Alpha Epsilon organization has responded to requests for comment. The university has not yet provided further details on what actions will be taken following the investigation.
