Dartmouth College announced Thursday that it will hire an investigator to look into hazing allegations made against 13 different student groups.
The investigator will dig into claims alleging that students in a number of different social organizations at the school engaged in hazing that constituted a threat to other students’ safety and health. The groups have not yet been informed that they will be investigated, but the New Hampshire school indicated the hazing problems expand beyond Greek life, according to The Dartmouth.
Three sororities, five fraternities, one co-ed Greek house, three athletic teams, a student life group and a performance group will face investigation, The Dartmouth reported Friday. The school’s Judicial Affairs Office and general counsel will work with the investigator to look into the allegations.
The investigation was prompted by a number of anonymous allegations as well as official reports students made through a LiveSafe app that allows students to submit reports of dangerous or illicit events.
The prospective investigation is not intended to ban or heavily restrict Greek life at the school. “There is not a conversation that is happening right now about the end of Greek life as we know it, or any of those things,” Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs Liz Agosto said, The Dartmouth reported. She did indicate, however, that the number of submitted reports to the LiveSafe app have increased since fall 2017.
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“If we get a report that’s [about seeing] five girls dressed in leotards doing a dance, that doesn’t rise to an issue where we’re concerned about the health and safety of our student organizations,” Agosto also said, explaining that some of the allegations made against the students groups are valid while others do not qualify as hazing. (RELATED: Anal Hazing Remains An Epidemic In American High Schools)
The college will also investigate an alleged incident where students wore unicorn costumes, according to Agosto. The external investigator will not dig into the alleged event.
“The reports include, but are not limited to, alleged forced consumption of alcohol and alleged behavior of a sexual nature,” a Dartmouth spokesperson told The Daily Caller News Foundation Friday. “The information has been shared with the Hanover Police Department per our protocol.”
Greek house leaders met with Office of Greek Life Director Brian Joyce Thursday, according to a number of Greek organization presidents. No timeline has been given for when the college will officially hire the investigator.
Louisiana State University (LSU) suspended “all Greek activities” in September 2017 after a student was found dead after alcohol-related hazing. The school later arrested nine persons on hazing charges and one individual on hazing and negligent homicide charges.
Five football players from Wheaton College in Illinois were also charged with aggravated battery, unlawful restraint and mob action among other charges in September 2017 as part of a hazing incident.
This post was updated with comment from Dartmouth.
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