SAE fraternity at Georgia College disbanding following hazing investigation

The Georgia College chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity has officially been forced to dissolve after an investigation by the university for allegations of hazing.

University faculty first became aware that there might be a problem after one pledge student was hospitalized for alcohol intoxication after a fraternity event in November 2020.

The resulting investigation that went on in the Fall semester of 2021  found other forms of hazing, including:

• forced servitude

• forced physical conduct

• physical and/or verbal harassment

• forced consumption of food and drink

The students that were charged with responsibility all accepted the charges and were required to complete an anti-hazing course, pay a fine, while some were suspended from university for one to two years, according to university officials.

Omar Odeh, the associate vice president of strategic communications at GCSU, gave Baldwin2k the following statement:

Charges against 29 members of the now-dissolved Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at Georgia College & State University (GCSU) for violations of the University’s student code of conduct resulting from hazing activities in fall semester 2021 have now been concluded. The students as of this week have either accepted responsibility for those charges or completed hearings under the student disciplinary process.

“We remain committed to a zero-tolerance policy toward hazing and other behaviors that jeopardize the health, safety, and wellbeing of our students,” added Dr. Shawn Brooks, GCSU Vice President of Student Life. “We also take seriously the Georgia General Assembly’s public policy emphasis that hazing conduct should be eliminated from our campuses, and if discovered, should be prosecuted and disclosed under the recently passed Max Gruver Act.”

In accordance with the law, details of the adjudicated hazing charges against students have been published on the GCSU website and can be accessed here.

The University also formed an anti-hazing task force last fall and is implementing its recommendations. Actions include the publication of an anti-hazing pledge to be signed by all students, an anti-hazing instruction course for all GCSU students, enhancing the involvement of advisors to student organizations, and making changes to the recruitment process for Greek organizations.”

This marks the second investigation of an SAE chapter at a state university in Georgia in recent years. The University of North Georgia chapter of SAE was suspended for four years in February 2019 after "an underage student was taken to the hospital after drinking too much," according to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The chapter already was on greek probation at the time.