University of Virginia suspends fraternities in light of sexual assault investigation

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Nov. 22 (UPI) -- The president of the University of Virginia issued a statement Saturday announcing the suspension of the school's fraternities after recent allegations involving a rape in 2012.

"Beginning immediately, I am suspending all fraternal organizations and associated social activities until January 9th, ahead of the beginning of our spring semester," University of Virginia President Teresa A. Sullivan wrote on the school's website. "In the intervening period we will assemble groups of students, faculty, alumni, and other concerned parties to discuss our next steps in preventing sexual assault and sexual violence on Grounds."

Sullivan went on to write that the school's Board of Visitors would meet Tuesday to discuss the university's sexual assault policies as well as "specific, recent allegations," referencing a Rolling Stone article published Wednesday chronicling a student's brutal rape in 2012 at the hands of seven men from a prominent fraternity.

The article paints a picture of university culture -- from the student's close friends to the campus dean -- that encouraged victim silence.

The fraternity house cited in the assault, Psi Kappa Psi, was vandalized a day after the publication of the article.

University of Virginia is one of 86 schools under Title IX investigations for not providing equal access to education by inadequately looking into sexual assault reports, and it is one of 12 schools under much closer scrutiny by the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights in a process called "compliance review."

"They are targeted efforts to go after very serious concerns," Office of Civil Rights assistant secretary Catherine Lhamon told Rolling Stone. "We don't open compliance reviews unless we have something that we think merits it."