By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The University of Arizona announced a serious punishment for one of its fraternities over serious hazing allegations and said some members are facing criminal charges.
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On Wednesday, July 29, the school said it will not recognize Sigma Alpha Mu until June 2031. That means the fraternity cannot participate in any university-sponsored events and loses all privileges afforded to it, including the use of university facilities, equipment, and services.
The moves come after the U of A announced several investigations into six fraternities over the last few months.
The last time the University of Arizona cut ties with a fraternity was in 2024, when Pi Kappa Phi was found guilty of hazing and violating the school’s code of conduct.
Earlier this year, Sigma Alpha Mu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and Phi Delta Theta were all accused of hazing.
SIGMA ALPHA MU INVESITGATION
The allegations against Sigma Alpha Mu included burns from hot liquids, forced alcohol consumption, alcohol poisoning, blackouts, and hospitalizations.
The Dean of the Students Office said that on April 29, it received a video showing new members being subjected to hazing. The video contained 21 clips of different incidents.
Due to that video, the University of Arizona Police Department asked the Dean of the Students Office to pause its investigation so it could investigate.
On May 1, the UAPD served a search warrant at the Sigma Alpha Mu house, and the chapter leader was allegedly found with cocaine. The Dean of the Students Office said it then learned the chapter leader was not enrolled for the spring semester.
In one hazing incident, a witness said boiling butter was poured over the heads of two new members during an event on March 23. The witness said he saw two active members “giggling” after leaving the room so they went to check it out. The witness said they reported the incident to the chapter leadership but did not think it was reported to the Dean of the Students Office or the frat’s headquarters.
The Dean of the Students Office said some of the new members were injured and had to seek treatment and that some members were not cooperative with the UAPD investigation.
Some members are facing criminal charges of hazing, assault, and drug possession, according to the Dean of the Students Office.
The fraternity has a history of violations of the Student Code of Conduct. On Nov. 14, 2025, Sigma Alpha Mu was placed on probation for endangering/threatening/causing harm and alcohol violations. On April 16, 2026, Sigma Alpha Mu was placed on activities suspension for failure to comply and forgery.
HAZING PREVENTION EXPANSION
Also on July 29, the school announced expanded efforts to “strengthen hazing prevention through emerging best practices while fostering a campus culture in which every student understands their responsibility to recognize, prevent and report hazing.”
The U of A said several initiatives were already underway and will now be expanded or accelerated.
“Every student deserves to belong to organizations that build leadership, character and lifelong friendships in a safe environment,” University of Arizona Chief Academic Officer and Provost Patricia Prelock said. “The overwhelming majority of our student organizations reflect those values every day. Those that do not will be thoroughly investigated and held accountable. Hazing has no place at the U of A, and we will continue investing in prevention, education and accountability to protect our students and strengthen a campus culture built on safety, respect and belonging.”
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As part of that commitment, the university is implementing and expanding several initiatives, including:
- Convening fraternity and sorority student leaders, university officials and national fraternity and sorority representatives at the start of the fall semester to reaffirm shared expectations for conduct, accountability and student safety.
- Expanding anti-hazing education to additional student organizations across campus.
- Moving required hazing prevention education for fraternity and sorority new members earlier in the membership process.
- Completing the nationally recognized Hazing Prevention Institute certification for Dean of Students staff to strengthen hazing prevention, education and response efforts.
- Hiring a full-time Student Affairs professional dedicated to strengthening campus prevention programming and education.
The school said those efforts “build on existing university initiatives, including Wildcats Don’t Haze, mandatory hazing prevention education for fraternity and sorority members, campuswide awareness campaigns that encourage students to report concerns, and ongoing collaboration with national fraternity and sorority organizations to promote accountability and student success.”
SIGMA PHI EPSILON
In May, Sigma Phi Epsilon was placed on probation until May 31, 2027, over several incidents.
It was ordered to attend a hazing workshop, do a review of its members, meet monthly with the national charter, and pay a fine of nearly $4,000.
The accusations against the fraternity included sleep deprivation, forced alcohol consumption, kidnapping, and forced calisthenics. Members were also accused of illegal drug use.
Sigma Phi Epsilon admitted the fraternity had a history of hazing concerns, but it had been working to change that. The changes included a new chapter advisor in fall 2025 and new student leaders for spring 2026.
The frat admitted members were asked or encouraged to perform calisthenics, but the allegations of kidnapping, sleep deprivation, and drug use were found to be unfounded.
PHI DELTA THETA
Phi Delta Theta was placed on activities suspension for hazing, where members were allegedly subjected to forced alcohol consumption, degradation, humiliation, and other threatening and endangering behaviors.
OTHER U OF A FRATS IN TROUBLE
Sigma Chi allegedly hosted a party that was alcohol-free, but alcohol was consumed, drugs were knowingly and unknowingly given to members, and multiple members had to go to the hospital.
Delta Kappa Epsilon faced several loud music and noise complaints, while Theta Xi allegedly hosted a party with a DJ, loud music, and women.
HAZING IN NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Hazing and frats were in the national spotlight earlier this week when a U.S. Secret Service agent and two other men were accused of brutal beatings as part of a ritual.
One of the men charged, 29-year-old Marquez Christopher Pinder, works in the Secret Service’s Miami field office and is described in an arrest warrant as a “dean of pledges” for a Miami chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
Police claimed a University of Miami graduate student and another young man had injuries that could have been fatal had they not been treated. One required skin grafts to his backside and suffered kidney damage, the documents said, while the other had a tube placed in his windpipe to help him breathe.
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