ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

SIGMA PHI EPSILON   

Date Reported  

March 26, 2026 

Date of Incident 

March 18, 2026

Date Investigation Started 

March 26, 2026 

Investigation Concluded 

April 16, 2026 

Policy Violation(s) 

(15)(a) Hazing  

(15)(b) Hazing - Soliciting, Directing, Aiding, and/or Participating 

(22)(a) Alcoholic Beverages - Under 21 

(22)(c) Alcoholic Beverages - Supply 

(33)(i) Abuse of the Conduct Process - Interim Actions, Disciplinary Sanctions, or Conditions 

Sanction(s) 

See below 

Description of Hazing Incident(s)  

Following an investigation into allegations of hazing, the University found that members of Sigma Phi Epsilon engaged in conduct that included: 

•  Hosting new member activities involving the rapid consumption of alcoholic beverages. 
• Incorporating alcohol into chapter-sponsored events and activities, including Bid Day, Big Brother Ceremony, and other rituals. 

• Placing new members in a dark room while blindfolded and requiring them to listen to the same song repeatedly for approximately 30 minutes. 

As a result of these findings, the following sanctions were issued:  

1.  The Respondent's recognition as a Student Organization is suspended from the University of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ effective March 31, 2026. Suspension may be accompanied by special conditions for readmission. Sigma Phi Epsilon may submit a petition for authorization to pursue recognition by the University no sooner than April 1, 2027, for possible recognition in the Fall 2027 semester. A successful petition will include the completion of Fraternity and Sorority Life's New or Returning Organization Process.
2. Additionally, Sigma Phi Epsilon must work with the Office of Student Accountability and Fraternity and Sorority Life staff to develop and agree upon a comprehensive two-year Enhancement Plan to ensure the chapter's successful reintegration into the fraternity and sorority community. The Enhancement plan must outline clear expectations, benchmarks, and strategies to support the chapter’s successful reintegration into the fraternity and sorority community, including areas such as officer training, recruitment, risk management, member development, health and safety (hazing prevention, substance use, etc.), advisor recruitment and training, internal accountability structures (e.g., standards board training), and alignment with Sigma Phi Epsilon and the University's policies and values. Successful development of the Enhancement Plan is a prerequisite for Sigma Phi Epsilon's reinstatement as a registered student organization. Failure to comply during the first two years of campus recognition will result in immediate suspension and review of organizational status.
3. The chapter must also agree to the following stipulations:  

• The University will approve any advisor(s) prior to reinstatement. 
• Upon receiving permission to return to the University, the organization must provide a list of all alumni and other volunteers who will be involved in any official membership recruitment process to the University of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ – Office of Student Leadership and Involvement. The University reserves the right to disapprove of any individual’s participation in the official membership recruitment process. Failure to provide this list will be considered a violation of the terms of re-establishment of the organization.  

• Failure to abide by any of the above conditions would constitute noncompliance with the terms of the suspension and could lead to the University denying potential recognition of the organization. 

• Any currently affiliated student member may participate in a future recolonization effort only if that individual has successfully completed the formal review conducted by the National Fraternity, has been selected by the National Fraternity to participate in the recolonization effort, and otherwise satisfies the conditions of this Agreement and the University’s recognition process. 

LAMBDA CHI ALPHA

Date Reported  

January 17, 2024 

Date of Incident 

October 23, 2022 

Date Investigation Started 

February 5, 2024 

Investigation Concluded 

May 28, 2024 

Policy Violation(s) 

(5) Harm to Persons  

(6) Abuse 

(15)(a) Hazing  

(15)(b) Hazing - Soliciting, Directing, Aiding, and/or Participating 

(19) Disorderly Conduct  

Sanction(s) 

See below 

Description of Hazing Incident(s)  

Following an investigation into allegations of hazing, the University found that members of Lambda Chi Alpha engaged in conduct that included: 

• Requiring new members to answer questions about fraternity history and subjecting them to yelling or verbal reprimands for incorrect responses. 

• Requiring new members to run approximately three miles, during which at least one individual became physically ill and vomited. 

• Requiring new members to perform physical exercises, including calisthenics, while being questioned about fraternity history. 

• Covering new members’ faces with pillowcases, bandanas, or similar materials and transporting them to an undisclosed field. 

• Requiring new members to view the exposed genitalia of fraternity members. 

• Requiring new members to remove clothing and sit on cold, wet ground for multiple hours. 

• Placing new members in the trunk of a vehicle. 

• Requiring new members to complete arbitrary tasks, including filling a bucket with water using a PVC pipe while exposed to cold weather conditions. 

As a result of these findings, the following sanctions were issued:  

The organization may submit a petition for authorization to pursue recognition by the University no sooner than April 1, 2029, for possible recognition in the Fall 2029 semester. A successful petition will include a written plan of action addressing membership development and hazing prevention for the organization. The chapter’s plan should be submitted to the University of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ - Office of Student Accountability and should address the following subjects:

• Hazing prevention: The plan must contain strategies to address hazing prevention within the organization. This hazing prevention strategy should include a curriculum that does the following:  
  • Define hazing and what actions are considered hazing by the state of Tennessee and the organization;  
  • Discussion of the causes of hazing in organizations and how the organization will prevent hazing from happening within this chapter if allowed to return to the University of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ; 
  • A discussion of how the organization will ensure that members and potential members are aware of what they should do if they believe hazing is occurring within the organization.  
  • This curriculum and format must be approved by the University of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ - Office of Student Leadership and Involvement before the petition can be reviewed and improved.

Personal Development Program: To enhance the individual and personal development of members, the organization will be required to develop and implement a Membership Development Program. This program must be implemented for the first two years following reestablishment at the University. This plan will include a minimum of four programs or workshops per academic year. These programs must include at least one of the following topics: 

• Values Clarification: Ritual programming and ethical decision making;
• Student Success: Time management, study skills, academic integrity and alcohol/drug education; 
• The curriculum and format of the Membership Development Program must be approved by the University of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ - Office of Student Leadership and Involvement before the organization will be recognized by the University. Failure to conduct any of this programming, during the first two years of campus recognition, will result in immediate suspension and review of organizational status. 

  The chapter must also agree to the following stipulations:  

• The University will approve any on-campus advisor(s) prior to reinstatement.   
• Upon receiving permission to return to the University, the organization must provide a list of all members and alumni who will be involved in any intake process to the University of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ - Office of Student Leadership and Involvement. The University reserves the right to disapprove of any individual participation in the intake process. Failure to provide this list will be considered a violation of the terms for re-establishment of the organization at the University of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ.
• Failure to abide by any of the above conditions would constitute noncompliance with the terms of the suspension and could lead to the University denying potential recognition of the organization.
• Any currently affiliated student member is prohibited from being affiliated with the chapter upon reactivation.