West Virginia University has placed its Lambda Chi Alpha chapter under interim suspension following hazing allegations, the school announced Oct. 9.
The move came three days after campus police issued a warning based on anonymous reports of hazing at the Morgantown chapter. Under the federal Clery Act, such warnings are issued when a reported crime is considered to pose a “serious or continuing” threat to the campus community.
University officials said the suspension reflects a firm policy against hazing.
“WVU has zero tolerance for hazing or any dangerous activities that threaten student safety or well-being. The University is committed to providing a safe environment for students, faculty, and staff,” the university said on its website.
Under WVU policy, hazing incidents are investigated and referred to the university’s Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for review. The school’s student code bans hazing by individuals and recognized student organizations, including rituals involving “beatings, branding and forced consumption of alcohol, food or drugs which could be deemed to adversely affect physical health and safety of the person or persons so treated.”
Lambda Chi Alpha remains under interim suspension while the university reviews the allegations. WVU Communications Director Shauna Johnson said there was “no additional information to provide at this time.” Lambda Chi Alpha did not respond to requests for comment.
Part of a wider pattern
The suspension comes amid a series of fraternity-related controversies nationwide, including a case at Cornell University where a woman claims she was gang-raped by seven fraternity members, as well as incidents at Arizona State and a drug ring uncovered at a Penn State fraternity house in August.
A Sept. 16 report from the nonprofit HazingInfo, which reviewed data from July 2025 through August 2026, found at least 556 reported hazing incidents during that period, with roughly one in six U.S. colleges and universities reporting at least one incident.
“Students and families can now see there are hundreds of hazing incidents documented on campuses each year,” said Jolayne Houtz, HazingInfo’s founder. “That likely means thousands of hazing victims.”
Houtz, whose 19-year-old son died after being hazed at Washington State University in 2019, has called on universities to confront the issue directly.
“Hazing is not an isolated issue for a handful of fraternities or campuses. It is a public health crisis and a national disgrace,” she said.
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