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9 students suspended in college hazing incident
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9 students suspended in college hazing incident
9 students suspended in college hazing incident
Cal Poly Pomona officials said Tuesday they’ve suspended nine fraternity members who participated in an initiation in which a student suffered serious burns. KPCC’s Adolfo Guzman-Lopez has the story.
University officials say that last March, members of Cal Poly Pomona’s Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity blindfolded 14 new members and took them to a desert hazing ritual. A member doused a bonfire with gasoline for dramatic effect. As he did so, the gas splattered on one of the blindfolded members. He sustained second-degree burns on his arms, legs, and chest.
The university suspended the fraternity chapter for four years. After an investigation, the university suspended nine members for two academic quarters. Forty-five other members received probation. A university spokesman said the L.A. County district attorney did not pursue criminal charges.
Sigman Phi Epsilon’s Pomona officers and its national president could not be reached for comment. Past members say the chapter focuses on academic achievement, and an online posting says members volunteered at last year’s L.A. County Fair.
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