The Hofstra
HEMPSTEAD, NY Volume 85 Issue 5
Chronicle
Tuesday
october 22, 2019
Keeping the Hofstra community informed since 1935
Sigma Alpha Mu placed on interim suspension following hazing allegations News
By Taylor Rose Clarke EDITOR - I N - C H I E F
The Hofstra University Delta Alpha chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu (SAM, also known as Sammy) was placed on interim suspension on Tuesday, Sept. 24, pending an investigation into the fraternity regarding allegations of hazing. These reports were brought to the attention of Public Safety by a student who was pledging but dropped out of the process. The student and two other people whom he asked not be identified provided the following account through a series of interviews with The Chronicle. The allegations detail a string of “private rush events” that included physical contact with strippers, being kept in a steaming bathroom for one hour and what he described as the “big night,” an event with alumni that resulted in two inches of the student’s hair being burned off. Hofstra University defines hazing in the 2019-2020 Guide to Pride as “any activity expected of someone joining a group, conducted for the purpose of initiation into or affiliation with a group, or expected of a group member to maintain
full status in a group, where the activity is abusive, humiliating, degrading, excessive, or contrary to commonly accepted standards of decency, or risks emotional or physical harm.” “The University condemns hazing of any kind. It is a violation of the University’s code of conduct and of state law,” the University said in a statement to The Chronicle on Thursday, Sept. 26. “The Sigma Alpha Mu chapter at Hofstra has been placed on interim suspension
said hazing, but I brought it up a few times. [The two members and former friends] said, ‘Oh, there’s a couple tough moments but nothing too crazy.’” The student went to university-approved rush events, like a barbecue and bowling night. When asking a friend, who is a member of the organization, about the pledge process, the friend said, “It’s a lot of mental stuff, we won’t do anything physical.” The student detailed a series
we will beat the shit out of you because we have eyes everywhere on campus.’” The student said that on Friday, Sept. 13, there were contracted strippers present at the house. “I was told that there was physical contact with the strippers,” he said. Executive Director of SAM Nationals Andy Huston confirmed in a phone call with The Chronicle that Maurice “Mo” Cortes, an educational leadership consultant for SAM
“Every time they said secrecy, one of the brothers would go, ‘This is how we got away with what we do for so long. If we find out that you said anything, we will find you and we will beat the shit out of you because we have eyes everywhere on campus.’” pending the outcome of an internal investigation.” The student said he decided to join the organization after encouragement from two former friends who are both members of SAM. “I never explicitly
Photo courtesy of Sigma Alpha Mu Nationals. Established in 1987, Hofstra’s Delta Alpha chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu was placed on interim suspension on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
of “private rush events” that followed. All events took place at an off-campus house affiliated with the fraternity located on Greengrove Avenue in Uniondale. “You got invited to a private rush event if they liked you before the bid,” he said. He explained that the brothers would text the pledges very vague information when inviting them to the house. “They have a policy once you got into the fraternity, they taught you about C.U.P.S. [Cooperation, Unity, Pride, Secrecy],” he said. “The ‘S’ stands for secrecy. Every time they said secrecy, one of the brothers would go, ‘This is how we got away with what we do for so long. If we find out that you said anything, we will find you and
Nationals, was assigned to Hofstra’s chapter that weekend. “He had a chapter visitation that happened on September 12th to 14th,” Huston said. “It was on campus, but he did not witness any activities that violated fraternity policy.” “A chapter visit is when a staff member goes, travels around the country, provides general education to the officers and members. It happens throughout the school year, his just happened to be at the beginning of the school year ... he said during the time he didn’t observe anything that was a violation of university or fraternity policy,” Huston said. “It’s possible that something happened while he was on campus, but he wasn’t participating or observ-
ing any violations.” During one of the “private events” on Thursday, Sept. 19, the student explained that the brothers “put you in a bathroom for an hour, it got really steamy. It was turned to the max, it steamed up the room.” That same evening, the pledges were led downstairs in the house as part of initiation. “You would go downstairs, and they were all standing there in a dark room with only a candle lit and they had their hoods on. And that’s when you learned who your big was and when they gave you your [handbook].” The Chronicle obtained a copy of the national SAM candidate handbook. Page 45 of the Risk Management Policy under “Hazing” states, “No chapter, colony, student, or alumnus shall conduct nor condone hazing activities. Hazing activities are defined as: ‘Any action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities may include but are not limited to the following: use of alcohol; paddling in any form; creation of excessive fatigue; physical and psychological shocks; quests; treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips, or any other such activities carried on outside or inside of the confines of the chapter house; wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste; engaging in public stunts and buffoonery; morally degrading or humiliating games and activities; and any other activities which are not consistent with academic achievement; continued on A2