(WBIR – KNOXVILLE) One of the oldest and largest fraternities at the University of Tennessee is now suspended for five years due to hazing violations.
The Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity board of directors voted to suspend operations of the Epsilon-Omicron chapter at the University of Tennessee due to multiple hazing incidents over a three-year period. The chapter will stay closed a minimum of five years, according to Lambda Chi Alpha's national headquarters spokesperson Tad Lichtenauer.
In 2013, the chapter was suspended for forcing pledges to do military-type physical training. In the fall of 2015, UT Police reported some members were forced to do push-ups and swim 300 yards. Some students voiced disagreement with those latest accusations by painting "UT frames fraternities" on the campus rock.
The organization's national headquarters said the suspension was due to the chapter violating "the oaths and laws of our fraternity."
"Lambda Chi Alpha has a zero tolerance policy in regard to hazing and this closure imposes the appropriate penalty given the circumstances," said director of Chapter Services of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity Nick Zuniga.
Under the terms of the suspension, chapter members may not represent Lambda Chi Alpha, display any of the Fraternity’s emblems or symbols, or gather in the name of Lambda Chi Alpha.
The University of Tennessee said there are 122 active members of Lambda Chi Alpha and 22 members living in the chapter house. Those students will have until March 6 to find new housing.
"This is just turning their world upside down at this point, but we're stressing to them that they need to concentrate on their classes," said Tom McNutt, chairman of the UT chapter's alumni control board. "It is not easy. It really is not easy, especially with this decision being made mid-semester."
McNutt said UT has been working with the chapter to find new housing arrangements in dorms or nearby off-campus housing.
McNutt said the chapter has been at UT since 1932 and has thousands of alumni. He emphasized the good the members of the organization do in the community and said he does not want this negative incident to define the current members' college careers.
"These are good guys. I am proud to say each and every one of these guys is a brother," said McNutt.
Lambda Chi Alpha will maintain control of the house on campus, but will sub-lease it to other student organizations beginning in the fall 2016 semester.
Despite the latest suspension, the University of Tennessee says the culture among Greek organizations has improved in recent years since the formation of a task force aimed at reducing negative incidents and alcohol abuse. UT says the overall amount of hazing violations has dropped considerably.
Every fraternity and sorority house on campus now has an adult live-in house director to oversee operations and supervise students. House directors cannot be undergraduate students. If they were undergraduate students at UT and members of a chapter, they must be out of school for more than two years before they are eligible to serve as the chapter's house director.
UT has also created a "Stop Hazing on Rocky Top" website with information on hazing and a hotline to report violations.
That task force was formed after the infamous "butt chugging" incident in 2012 when members of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity were accused of rectally consuming alcohol.