Eastern Tennessee State University has suspended its Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter for the remainder of the school year. This is the second time that the fraternity has been suspended in the last year.
The suspension comes after the completion of an investigation into a February incident where the fraternity had an unregistered party and a student was sent to the hospital due to an alcohol-related incident.
Furthermore, school administrators said that following the investigation, the fraternity faced judicial charges. During a March meeting, the university’s Judicial Board then suspended the fraternity for the rest of the semester.
Via WJHL:
The suspension means the fraternity can’t do things like hold meetings or recruit members. Dr. Jeff Howard, Associate Vice President of Student Engagement said the fraternity does not have an extensive history of trouble.
“This chapter has a very small conduct record, there has not been a lot during the duration of their time at the university so it’s been a while, they were in good standing before this occurred,” Dr. Howard said.
However, Howard said the fraternity is complying with the educational sanctions, and that based on their actions, he believes they could return to good standing for the fall semester.
ETSU also placed fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha on interim suspension in November of 2016 for a similar violation involving an unregistered party that involved alcohol.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon History
Sigma Alpha Epsilon was founded by Noble Leslie DeVotie, Nathan Elams Cockrell, John Barratt Rudulph, John Webb Kerr, Samuel Marion Dennis, Wade Hampton Foster, Abner Edwin Patton, and Thomas Chappell Cook on March 9, 1856 at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Not only did DeVotie have the coolest name of the bunch, but he was also the leader.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon grew rapidly, as they had their first national convention in 1858. They expanded north of the Mason-Dixon line for the first time in 1883, establishing a chapter at Pennsylvania College (now Gettysburg College). They’ve since grown to have chapters in all 50 states. In March of 2014, Sigma Alpha Epsilon eliminated pledging, becoming the first large national fraternity to do so.
