Local Fraternities and Sororities Band Together Against Hazing

Thursday, May 10th 2007, 7:30 pm

By: News On 6

Some sorority and fraternity members hope tougher legislation will stomp out hazing. The Panhellenic Council, a group made up of several Greek organizations, met Thursday night in Tulsa. News On 6 anchor Latoya Silmon reports on the group's plan of action.

Thursday's meeting comes just two months after an OSU student says members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity beat him. Six frat members were charged with hazing, but as the law stands now it's only a misdemeanor in Oklahoma. Graduate members of some sororities and fraternities in Tulsa say that may need to change.

The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity did not have a frat house on campus, so investigators say members and pledges gathered inside an apartment for meetings. Investigators say that's when the suspected hazing took place.

"On one victim his buttocks, the flesh was torn down to the muscle until there was no skin left," said Lieutenant Michael Metcalf with the Stillwater Police Department

Police say six members of the fraternity used paddles to beat a pledge, now they're facing hazing charges.

Members of the Panhellenic Council say what happened at OSU is big problem, and the group is looking for solutions.

â€œIf we make those a little stiffer, and make it a felony instead of a misdemeanor it would be more reason for people to stop hazing on campuses,â€ said Barbara Eikner, Tulsa NPHC President.

Some hope for tougher laws that will get undergraduate fraternity and sorority members to think twice before picking up a paddle or doing something else harmful. But the criminal implications aren't the only concerns here. Some graduate members of the Greek system fear that continued hazing opens up groups to lawsuits, costing everyone.

â€œWe want to provide scholarships, be involved in the economic process,â€ Eikner said. â€œWe don't want to use our dollars and sense to fund what we consider illegal acts and individuals who are suing our organizations.â€
We should mention that each fraternity and sorority represented at Thursdayâ€™s meeting has a strict no hazing policy in place. One organization says it even sues members who are caught hazing, but they say OSU is proof that more needs to be done. They hope to appeal to lawmakers about the need for tougher laws in the near future.

Watch the video: Some Greek Organizations Pushing For Tougher Hazing Punishment

Related stories:

3/6/2007 OSU Fraternity Pledge Severely Beaten

3/12/2007 Students Charged With Hazing

3/14/2007 OSU Fraternity Suspended

3/21/2007 Fraternity Members Accused Of Hazing Appear In Court