FIJI Gets Shut Down at Miami of Ohio

Miami Frat Shut Down Over Hazing

When the national office sends an investigative team, something bad is going to happen. Thats what happened to the Phi Gamma Delta chapter at the Miami University of Ohio.

None of the brother suspect the result would be as devastating as it was. At their weekly chapter meeting on Sunday April 1, 2007 the FIJI brothers learned that their chapter was being suspended indefinitely. The were even made to take the fraternity flag off the pole in front of their house.

“Everybody...was shocked,” said Senior Chris Sledzik.

The decision was based on an alleged hazing incident that occurred on March 6th. Several groups of pledges were taken and dropped off at a wooded park. A park ranger spotted the young men and contacted the school suspecting that hazing was taking place. When he approached the men and asked what chapter they were from they lied. He determined they had no idea where they were.

“We are not a bad-intentioned chapter,” Sophomore Matt Schwier said, “we made a mistake.”

In the chain of events that followed the university contacted the national offices of FIJI who sent the investigative team. The team quickly looked into the incident and decided to shut down the 80 man strong, 50 year old chapter.

Bill Martin, executive director of the national fraternity, would not go into details, but would only say “the activities that we discovered are outside of the bounds of acceptable behavior for any group that’s going to carry” the Phi Gamma Delta name.