Binghamton University’s chapter of Pi Lambda Phi has been suspended from campus after allegations of hazing surfaced roughly three weeks ago.
On Monday, March 25, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life received a report of potential hazing within the fraternity, leading to the suspension and a full investigation, according to L.C. Coghill, director of fraternity and sorority life at BU.
“When we receive credible and specific allegations of a serious violation of University policy, it is the University’s usual response to suspend activities of the organization pending a full investigation in the interest of safety,” Coghill wrote in an email.
The University conducted an independent investigation of the fraternity, which has since been dropped, and the national headquarters of Pi Lambda Phi currently investigating the allegations. According to Coghill, a sorority or fraternity would only be fully removed from campus if allegations are confirmed.
“The removal of recognition from an organization or any other sanctions would only occur following investigation and substantiation of the allegations,” Coghill wrote.
If the national headquarters of Pi Lambda Phi finds the BU chapter of the fraternity broke the organization’s anti-hazing policies, the fraternity could also see organizational sanctions.
This is not the first time Pi Lambda Phi has been accused of violating the University Code of Student Conduct. At a hearing in April 2013, they were found guilty of admitting members who were not BU students, placing the fraternity, which had been on disciplinary probation at the time, on final probation. They were also given 20 hours of community service and mandatory educational sanctions to correct their behavior.
The most recent Greek life suspension at the University occurred last August, when Tau Epsilon Phi was issued a suspension pending an investigation that found the fraternity had violated the Code of Student Conduct. They were removed from campus, and are unable to return until summer 2020.