Louisiana State University has put a fraternity on an “interim suspension” for what it says are violations of its student code of conduct.
LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard did not share the nature of the allegations against the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity chapter, but a statement released by the university said the fraternity is under investigation for “very serious” allegations.
“We cannot go into specific details at this time, but the university will fully investigate the claims,” the school’s statement said. “If they are substantiated, then appropriate action will be taken.”
The alleged violation took place during this fall, according to a letter sent last week to the chapter’s president from LSU Associate Dean of Students Jonathan Sanders.
The fraternity chapter did not respond to CNN’s effort to contact it. In a statement, Victor Tran, Pi Kappa Phi’s national interim assistant executive director of communications, said the fraternity would cooperate with LSU and expected its members to do so as well.
“We have also put our own interim suspension in place as the investigation continues,” Tran said in a statement.
Pi Kappa Phi’s suspension comes on the heels of anniversary of the death of LSU pledge Maxwell Gruver, who died last September after allegedly being forced to drink alcohol as part of a hazing ritual.
Gruver was pledging the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, which revoked the chapter’s charter four days after the incident.
Gruver’s parents have filed a $25 million lawsuit against the school, the fraternity and some of its members.
The Pi Kappa Phi fraternity also came under scrutiny at another school last November when 20-year-old Florida State University pledge Andrew Coffey died after a night of heavy drinking at an off-campus party.
Early this year nine men were charged with college hazing causing injury or death, but the charges were later dropped, the Tallahasee Democrat reported.
