Fraternity turfed from Tucson campus

Published: June 29, 2009 at 6:26 PM

TUCSON, June 29 (UPI) -- Documents obtained by the Arizona Daily Star reveal details of hazing inflicted by a University of Arizona fraternity now banned from campus for three years.

The Daily Star reported Monday among the 300 pages of documents it obtained through a public records request were descriptions of Sigma Phi Epsilon pledges being yelled at and slapped at a campus event last fall. One would-be frat brother had his shirt ripped off.

That was just one of 15 hazing incidents that led to the Tucson school administration's disciplinary action against Sigma Phi in March, the newspaper said.

In other instances, pledges were forced to drink beer until they vomited and a university student said she was given a date-rape drug at an off-campus party and was sexually assaulted at a pledge's apartment, documents showed.

Tyler Babcock, former president of the fraternity, said the investigation wasn't balanced.

"The university drew an image of us being rowdy, crazy kids that are running around and partying," he said. "It was a very organized house, and all the kids in the house are great kids."

Still, fraternity leaders signed a letter saying they agreed the allegations are factually correct.

The newspaper said it wasn't clear whether the university punished individual fraternity members or whether police investigated.

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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