Police are reviewing evidence seized from the Lambda Chi Alpha house at West Virginia University as part of a hazing investigation, one of several fraternity probes underway across the country.
On Oct. 26, hundreds of people gathered outside the multi-story brick house in Morgantown, shouting as loud music played. Campus and local police officers, carrying out a search warrant related to hazing allegations, removed bags and cases from the building and placed them in police vehicles.
The university had put the Lambda Chi Alpha chapter on interim suspension on Oct. 9, after receiving anonymous hazing allegations, a university spokesperson said.
Police also served a search warrant at the campus house of Pi Kappa Alpha, commonly known as PIKE, according to posts from WVU Safety and Wellness. That chapter was being investigated over hazing allegations but had not been suspended by the university as of Oct. 26.
Hazing generally refers to requiring new or prospective members of college groups or the military to take part in strenuous, humiliating or dangerous activities.
Michael Ayalon, a hazing-prevention expert and CEO of Greek University, said the growing number of law enforcement investigations does not necessarily mean hazing is becoming more common. Increased awareness, including changes to federal law, may be driving greater scrutiny, he said.
The Stop Campus Hazing Act, passed with bipartisan support in December 2024, requires greater transparency around hazing allegations, Ayalon said. Universities are facing stronger expectations to be open and accountable, which has made hazing more visible. Still, he said, the practice has long been underreported, in part because people fear retaliation.
Ayalon said the investigations can also shape public opinion of fraternities broadly. Allegations involving a small number of chapters, he said, can overshadow the positive work of many members and make recruiting, alumni support and cooperation with universities more difficult.
Despite years of education, policy changes and deaths linked to hazing, some chapters still treat it as a necessary step toward membership, Ayalon said. Members may rationalize the practice by arguing that they endured it themselves. The idea that hazing creates loyalty or brotherhood is flawed, he added: facing a meaningful challenge together is different from being humiliated or controlled by people with power over you.
Hazing can take different forms across organizations, Ayalon said. In traditionally white fraternities affiliated with the Interfraternity Council, forced alcohol consumption is a common method; he said it is involved in 82% of hazing deaths. In traditionally white sororities, he said, hazing may involve emotional abuse and excluding new members. In historically Black fraternities and sororities associated with the National Pan-Hellenic Council, it can be physical or psychological. Some recent cases have also involved drugs.
“West Virginia University takes seriously the safety and well-being of our students,” a university spokesperson said. The university would not provide further details while the investigations are ongoing, but said it would share updates when possible.
