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Hazing involved in Cal State Northridge student's death; fraternity surrenders CSUN chapter
A sign at California State University's Northridge campus.
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SonnyandSandy via Flickr Creative Commons
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California State University, Northridge announced in a statement Friday that their internal investigation of the death of a freshman determined hazing was involved. The student, Armando Villa, passed out during a July hike with other pledges to the Zeta Mu Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi.
The fraternity has permanently surrendered its CSUN chapter, school president Diane Harrison said in the statement, while the culpability of individual students will be determined at the end of the criminal investigation into the 19-year-old Villa's death. The fraternity had already been suspended.
"The report’s findings are deeply disturbing, and I will not turn a blind eye to any reports of hazing," Harrison said in the statement. "Hazing is stupid, senseless, dangerous and against the law in California. It is a vestige of a toxic way of thinking in which it was somehow okay to degrade, humiliate and potentially harm others. It has no place on this or any university campus, in any student club or organization, and it will not be tolerated."
Villa was with other pledges and some already initiated members for the fraternity outing, according to Pi Kappa Phi's Justin Angotti, the AP reports. The school previously announced new rules for fraternities at Cal State Northridge. Villa was entering his second year at the school.
You can read a redacted version of the report below:
Final CSUN Investigation Report — Redacted
This story has been updated.
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